Mea Culpa

Mea Culpa of course is Latin for "my fault". Today's popular usage is the ubiquitous "my bad". It's very interesting that many recent declarations by individuals sort of explaining their role(s) in the financial crisis really weren't what many wanted--full mea culpas but instead were rather lame statements such as "I'm sorry" or "I regret" (just short of "tough luck"). This is naturally symptomatic of society as a whole--half-hearted apologies but no taking of responsiblity, which of course could lead to lawsuits or other nasty results, including loss of reputation (if any remains).

To TNB, the most fascinating example is one-time revered icon of all economic gurus--Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve chairman, who in his heyday was held in unquestioned high esteem by one and all. During recent Congressional testimony, Greenspan stated that he had been right 70% of the time and wrong 30% (which is about 29.99% higher than he previously admitted). Not exactly a mea culpa but a grudging concession that he might possibly be mortal.

Also Robert Rubin , former Treasury Secretary and Citigroup chairman muttered a few "I regrets" before the same Congressional committee but insisted that he was basically blameless for any ultimately failed economic policies or the tribulations of Citigroup which required life support from the Federal government. Rubin needed no such aid having been paid $126 million by that bank for his wise advice. Why admit you're at least partially responsible for Wall Street's problems--someone (gasp!) might suggest that you repay something?

Actually, it's quite fashionable today to blame the victim for anything you may have done--perhaps it is is everyone but these former Masters of the Universe (thanks to Tom Wolfe) who should be expressing their mea culpas.

Someone Must Care

In today's Too Much Information age (see blog posting of April 14, 2009) TNB often wonders just who cares about the relentless amount of needless tidings which we are bombarded with daily in every sort of media, whether newspapers, television and radio, the Internet (including the ultimate trivia explosion--forwarded E-Mails) and so on.

Obviously, the purveyors of all the many examples of TMI care and believe others do--someone must care, right? It apparently really matters to some people that:

• Barack Obama marked down "African-American" on his census form. Although it is arguable that releasing this information was unnecessary, sure enough, there was consternation that he didn't check the "multiracial" box. If you really care about this, TNB says "get a life" (in any hue).
• Jesse James (who TNB remembers from long-ago Wild West movies--or is this a different guy?) admittedly cheated on his wife, brand-new Oscar winner Sandra Bullock, with some heavily tattooed bimbo --thus rising from obscurity to become the bigger story, especially for those whose lives are so empty that they care about this.
• Tiger Woods, who was considered the ultimate athletic role model until last Thanksgiving when he overdosed on cranberry sauce and wrecked his car (and his image), managed on the eve of his golf return at the Masters to give the breathless public a little window into his self inflicted anguish. Please tell TNB that most of those who care about this story do so because of a fanatic devotion to his sport (golf, that is).

Perhaps what these and countless other examples signify is that we all need a form of release from all the frightening real-life things we should care about, such as the size of the Federal and State deficits, Ahmed Karzai threatening to join the Taliban, the ever increasing earthquake activity, and scariest of all, the Chicago Cubs losing their opener 16-5.