The World's Most Wanted Amateurs

Some weeks ago, Parade magazine had a cover story on The World's Most Wanted. Among terrorists and human traffickers, we find a certain Denise Sinankwa. The only reason given for for landing on the list is that she stole—brace for it—$6.5 million from the government of Burundi.

$6.5 million? that's it?

I turned to my wife and remarked, What an amateur. In Russia people routinely steal ten or one hundred times that amount from the government.

My wife added, And instead of the cover of Parade magazine, they end up in the Fortune 500.

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It occurred to me later that these are individuals who take money from the government. In the United States, by contrast, the government has decided to take more than 100,000 times that amount from individuals—not from current voters, mind, but from their children, their grandchildren, and with the sums involved I reckon their grandchildren's grandchildren will be on the hook as well.

I'm looking forward to that extra $13 in my paycheck. Thanks, kids!