If homeless owes 25 cents, gov't will take his shopping cart. Madoff keeps 2 million.

[Democrats_win]

The problem isn't that the government showed incredible mercy to Ruth Madoff in allowing her to keep $2 million dollars rather the problem is that the government doesn't show anyone who is poor the same mercy.

Our "justice" system seems to be operating on a communism for the rich: to the rich according to their needs, from the poor even if it bleeds. The injustice is glaring.

In reality Ruth Madoff had leverage such as information that prosecutors wanted. The homeless person has none. That is, none, if you exclude the threat of violence. Everyone hopes that "we can all just get along." But that is becoming harder when we are forced to get along with less while the rich get along with a lot more.

[Lorien]

1. Brings to mind that woman who was thrown in jail because she couldn't

afford her son's court fees. There's not even a shred of mercy for the poor in this country. The wealthy justify their actions against the rest of us by telling themselves that we're "lazy" or clinging to nonsense from "the Secret"; "everyone gets what they expect/ subconsciously wish for".

[anonymous171]

2. Remember when corporate criminals would just kill themselves instead of imposing on society?

Whatever happened to that?

[n2doc]

3. I suspect that 2 mil is gonna go fast

There are going to be a raft of civil suits to get that money, and even if they don't win the Lawyers will take it all...

It does amaze me, though, that if Madoff had robbed a bank and given his wife some of it, she would be in jail also. Or at least all of it would be taken back. I guess it depends on what kind of robber you are.

[droidamus2]

4. I was thinking about that

Was the 2.5 million all in cash or was some of it in assets as in a home or an expensive apartment, vehicles, furniture, etc. Not that I feel sorry for these ripoff artists but if you have been used to living a lifestyle where you have 100's of billions of dollars and you are dropped down to a couple of million it may be extravagant by most peoples standards but it is a huge come down. If physical assets are included in the 2.5 million and she no longer has hubby stealing money for her it won't be long before all the 'cash' is used up and she will end up selling the assets. A lot of these people are so used to spending money without thinking about it that it can be very hard for them to spend like 'normal' people. It would be interesting to see where she is at in a couple of years. It may not be pretty, but it would definitely be deserved.