Capital-ism Crime

LYNCHBURG, Va. – In his hometown in central Virginia, the peanut company executive at the center of a criminal investigation over the national salmonella outbreak is known as a respected businessman who just weeks ago told friends and clients his life was going well.

The image of Stewart Parnell as a benevolent peanut tycoon contrasts sharply with what investigators said occurred inside the processing plants of Peanut Corp. of America. Worried about profits, they said, Parnell fired off jaw-dropping e-mails to employees amid reports that salmonella had been detected in his products not yet shipped.

"Turn them loose," said one e-mail.

Reconciling the Jekyll-and-Hyde tale of Stewart Parnell, 54, and his contaminated peanuts carries important consequences for food protection reforms already being considered in Washington. Was Parnell a hapless businessman whose mistakes revealed seams in the government's safety net? Or does the system require a more extensive overhaul to identify companies that might knowingly deliver tainted ingredients?

Friends and clients close to Parnell said he's not a monster, just a person who has made mistakes.

"He's always been an upstanding, generous person and a pillar of the community," said Mark Borel, a former neighbor and longtime friend.

Others aren't as forgiving, after reading Parnell's own words in e-mails: complaining that salmonella tests were costing him business, ordering a plant manager to ship products once identified as contaminated, pleading with health inspectors to let his employees "turn the raw peanuts on our floor into money."

The natural consequence of winning, is killing 9 people out of greed.

I really don't have much of an issue with capitalism as an economic model. It encourages and rewards talent and effort.. but the American culture tends to emphasize the "winner" and "loser" aspects of a successful life.

I don't think the guy meant to kill 9 people. He just thought he could ship bad product without consequence, and make some money. He did end up killing 9 people, and I wonder if he realizes that.

Money is a challenge to ethics, and conservatives value money beyond all else, including Jesus.. When you get right down to it, Jesus is simply a saleable product. Making money is great.. but the people who are good at it generally lack any real sense of humanity. Our priorities are backwards.

I wonder why ethics classes aren't offered until college, and even then only as an elective? I suppose it's because conservatives would lose their fucking minds at such Libural nonesense being taught in public schools.