Ken Lay - some thoughts from Aspen, where he died

The King is Dead, Long Live the King -- by Johnny Boyd

Ken Lay’s untimely (or perfectly timed) death here in Aspen has brought about a myriad of responses from across the country and the world. From the people that thought he was a wonderful fellow, to the people who want to see the body to make sure he’s truly gone to his maker (or his maker’s fallen angel) and isn’t partying with Elvis in Rio, the reactions have run the gamut.

To the people who loved him I send my condolences.

To the people who were ripped-off by him, I also send condolences. I’m afraid justice will never be served. Now that Mr. Lay has passed on, his fraud conviction will be erased and all of the restitution the government intended to wring out of him will have to be sued out of what he left to his wife –– after his lawyers finish picking over what they’re owed.

Sounds callous I know. But when you live by greed, don’t be surprised if it follows you to the grave.

Mr. Lay’s death coincidentally coincided with the Aspen Ideas Festival where his cronies who make up the Kings of the World were powwowing on the ways to help the planet by sucking more money out of it and into their own bank accounts. Who knows? Maybe Kenny-Boy had a few ideas of his own about how to make a comeback. Aspen was the place to network last week.

Judging by the 1,500-word obituary that appeared in the local paper, Ken Lay was one of the nicest guys in the world and one of the greatest philanthropists of our time. As if to make some sort of point, not one charity that he donated to was left out of the obit. However, it’s easy to be generous when you’ve spent so much time fleecing consumers around the world. From California to South America to Asia, Enron’s exploits (of the people) cover five continents and are well documented. I’d give a million bucks to charity too, if I could just swindle California out of a few billion.

At his funeral on Sunday he was compared to JFK, Martin Luther King, and Jesus Christ. I have no idea how these comparisons were drawn but they personally offend me. Although, I can see one uncanny resemblance to Christ. One of his best friends, a man who places loyalty above all else, denied he ever knew him. There is no honor among thieves.

After 9/11 many Americans asked the question, “Why do they hate us?” Enron is one very good reason. The arrogance exhibited by Mr. Lay and his former CEO, Jeffrey Skilling, during the trial was on display ten-fold in the countries the company did business in.

According to Human Rights Watch, people protesting an Enron power plant in India were arrested in the middle of the night by policemen on Enron’s payroll and beaten. In Argentina, Azurix, an Enron subsidiary, bought the water system of Buenos Aires province, fired its employees, pocketed their pay, and let the water system fall into ruins and become contaminated. In Ghana, Azurix was accused of winning a contract by paying a $5 million bribe. It denied the allegation but the World Bank cancelled the contract saying it wasn’t “transparent” enough. I don’t even have to relate the theft in California.

Of course, none of these nefarious schemes could’ve been perpetrated without the express cooperation of the governments of the countries that were benefiting from Enron’s presence. And let’s not forget the World Bank, the IMF, and the United States government under Clinton and both Bushes. Mr. Lay might’ve been guilty of many things, but he probably wasn’t the worst one out there. The worst may well have a jet on the runway at the Aspen airport as I write.

The melding of government and business that has taken place in the last few decades is another legacy of Mr. Lay’s. However, this appears to be backfiring a bit and fueling a revolt by the people. Realizing that globalization is going to bulldoze them under, voters in many of the countries Enron bilked have moved to the left. The fact that so many people now recognize the coming train wreck with the globalization fraudsters could be Mr. Lay’s greatest contribution to society. The people of the world realize that when they hear the word “globalization” or “deregulation” they need to grab their wallets tightly and run. Or better yet, vote any politician that utters it out of office.

Whether you know it, or like it, the unwashed protestors that show up at IMF and World Bank meetings have the interests of the people at heart while the Ken Lays meet behind closed doors deciding what will be best for their bottom line. The protestors know that what’s good for Enron, or any other multinational corporation, isn’t good for the rest of us. If we had any common sense, we all would join them or we may learn the hard way that the unholy alliance between government and business assures that fraud, wars, or whatever else will cloud America’s future.

In Houston, the town that deserted Ken Lay in the end, the deserters that once had their retirement hopes wrapped in Enron stock are happily going about their business. “Welcome to Wal-Mart!” These deserters know too well Mr. Lay’s legacy. There is no justice in his death for them.

Here in Aspen the Kings of the World are exiting the Aspen Ideas Festival, boarding their G-5s and moving on to fill the coffers of the politicians that will deregulate their next business venture. They leave behind their greatest mentor to be buried in the most expensive dirt on earth. Nothing but the best, Kenny-Boy. Que sera, sera. The king is dead, long live the king.

And, despite all the evidence presented to them on a daily basis, the common folk of America are none the wiser for any of it.

(Johnny Boyd is an Aspen-based columnist for the Snowmass Sun. You can find a copy of Johnny’s children’s book, First Tracks . E-mail: truthiness@ptopress.com)