Monday, April 12, 2010

How much money are 29 lives worth?

After watching with bated breath, we all found out that the status of those four miners changed from missing to confirmed dead. So, now it is time for the owners of that mine to answer many questions. The most important one that I would like to see asked is, "When they decided that it was more profitable for them to keep paying fines for violations, instead of remedying those violations, was the amount of money that they made enough to justify the 29 lives that were lost in the name of profit?"

In my America, the CEO, COO, Board of Directors, and any upper managers involved in the maintenance of that mine would be charged with 29 counts of 2nd degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and maybe enough a RICO charge, for operating an ongoing criminal enterprise. Upon conviction, all assets of the corporation would be seized and the corporation dissolved, without compensation to any shareholders, and here is what I would do with the money. First, the maximum fine would be imposed for every existing violation and paid; second, any and all wrongful death lawsuits would be paid out, and finally, whatever is left would go to fund the inspection of all operating mine (of any kind) in the United States.

That wouldn't bring back to life any or all of those 29 people who were offered up in sacrifice to the all mighty dollar, but it will certainly punish those that sacrificed them.

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