... the perversely backwards system of incentives that can result when government becomes too intimately intertwined with business. The novel is a great way to communicate that to people, and to encourage a deep suspicion of the efficacy of government programs, a point that seems too often get lost today.
Anyway, this op-ed by a quitting AIG exec reminded me of the Rand discussion and I think, if it is possible to recuperate her ideas, it would be in an episode like this. As this exec makes clear, the money is important but its not just the money--he's not going to stick around working long days while he gets trashed in every media outlet, in Congress, and from his boss above. I'm not sure how much a I believe him when he claims he had no responsibility, but I sure do believe him when he says that the populist backlash, centered around the bonus discussion, is going to push anyone with a modicum of sense, talent, or responsibility out of AIG.
