37 months jail for stealing $7.3 million?

[Kipper58]

So the full majesty of the American judicial system has decided that the three crooked bastards known as "The NatWest Three" deserve a piffling 37 months in jail for stealing £3.65 million.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/23/banking.useconomy

What really makes my blood boil about this travesty is this comment from the judge:

"I wish you well in your future endeavours and I'm confident we will never see you before a court again," Werlein said.

Hands up anyone who thinks they'd have been reading this friendly banter if the three had stolen the money at the point of a gun. At least they are being made to pay back the money, but the point is - how does this pathetic sentence act as any sort of deterrent to white-collar thieves?

[enlightenment]

1. America is well on it's way to a return to the Gilded Age -

the upside is that it makes the job of teaching that era in US history very simple - modern examples abound.

sigh.

[Morris Onions]

2. Disgraceful!

They should have got life with hard labour.

And flogging!