[...] In a way, I agree with Bush. Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing and all the rest are exceptions if only because of some teeny-weeny accounting errors in which billions of expenses were reported as profits. Bush, though, thinks the rest of corporate America is just hunky-dory while I think it just stinks.

Really? I never would have guessed. But I will give Richard credit for mentioning Global Crossing this time. Must have been an oversight.

It is, after all, the average top CEO who gets about $10 million a year while his average employee gets $25,466.

In Richard’s illiberal utopia, we are all “average,” hence no variance in wage is justified. And I could be wrong, but I’ll bet that “average” figure of $24,466 is not representative of the named companies but of a much broader spectrum across America. Richard will not be happy until he can set CEO salaries. With respect to this one issue, would I be a heartless bastard to say that I hope he dies in misery?

It is the average CEO who has seen his compensation zoom from 70 times the average worker's in 1985 to 410 times today.

Yes, but why? Damn free market! Damn post-industrial age! Damn stock market tripling in value the last 10 years! And the difference between the quality of life between an “average” American and an “average” Afghan has grown substantially as well over the last 200 years. Is this our fault too? [...]