Corporate Greed and Lawyers

Huzzah to Neal Gabler (“Desperately Seeking Celebrity,” Opinion, Aug. 11) for brilliantly arguing that the “bad apples” of corporate America, as George W. calls them, are merely the fruit of more fundamental blight: the institutionalizing of greed, the worship of celebrity and the buccaneer (or is it wildcat?) spirit of current corporate business.

The next day’s report on the grand jury probe of Kmart executives demonstrates his argument. Whether or not the Kmart chief executive and president are found guilty of illegal acts, the article makes clear the moral and financial guilt of one more company that pays its leaders millions of dollars in bonuses and stock awards while being led into bankruptcy.

Although such publicity is depressing the stock market in which I have my retirement investments, I am glad that the notoriety of corporate crime is attracting attention to the worse obscenity of corporate greed and folly.

David Eggenschwiler

Los Angeles

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Celebrity status is added to reasons for disgraceful business actions. But we should not overlook the enabling cause: legal advice. Businesses routinely seek legal opinions. On request, and often voluntarily, some lawyers prepare tomes on perceived loopholes, for which they are handsomely rewarded.

While lawyers are duty-bound to defend clients for past actions--no matter how reprehensible--as instruments of the court, this does not extend to pre-rationalizing improprieties. With legislatures awash with lawyers this practice will likely continue.

Leonard Greiner

Santa Ana

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Re “As Economy Sours, Bush Takes It Out on Lawyers,” Aug. 11:

I think it is clear why President Bush hates trial lawyers. It may be in part, as your article says, because “such attorneys make their living suing big businesses, which tend to be cozy with the GOP”; but that misses the real point in Bush’s hatred of trial lawyers. Trial lawyers are at the forefront in defending the average citizen from the incursions being made by Bush and his administration into our freedoms given us by the Bill of Rights.

Americans must recognize Bush’s lawyer-bashing for what it really is. It is Bush’s contempt for “we the people” and our struggle to prevent him and his abusive big-business buddies from taking over our government.

Leon M. Salter

Los Angeles