Can Dirty Money Cleanse Social Injustice?

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Last week in the remote Mexican town of Coalcoman someone posted signs thanking the leader of the area drug cartel for the Christmas gifts that the cartel gave to local children.  The town's mayor, who is a first-cousin to the wife of a cartel leader, also publicly thanked the cartel for the gifts.

There was a howl of indignation from the international press as well as from the President of Mexico over this praise of a criminal organization by the town and its mayor.   President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the mayor's behavior and said that she (the mayor) and other local authorities were being investigated by the Mexican government over possible involvement with the cartel.  President Sheinbaum has to not only be concerned with the crime occurring in Mexico, but also with the threat of US forces crossing the border to take on the drug cartels themselves

As I read those stories and pondered the ethical dilemma that it presented, I was reminded of a classroom activity which I participated in as a graduate student while working toward a Masters Degree in Social Work about a quarter-of-a-century ago.  We were discussing community dynamics when the professor brought out an old board game.  Each member of the class was somehow chosen to be a certain character in the community (preacher, bartender, PTA President, street sweeper, etc) and then we role-played through various random scenarios while functioning through the perspectives of our characters.

My role was that of crime boss, and through a spate of criminal activities that brought harm to many members of the community, I quickly amassed a pile of money and was able to move into a grand house and give my children many advantages.  At some point a big social need arose in the community, perhaps a new clinic or a library, and when it came my turn to act, I looked at my pile of cash and announced that I would fund it.

A couple of my classmates who had gotten very wrapped up in the game blew their circuitry over my generous donation.  "You can't do that!" They wailed.  "That's dirty money.  That would never happen in real life."  But I stood my ground and the donation was accepted.

After the game was complete, the class processed what had occurred in the various scenarios and what we had learned from the exercise.  There was still some complaining regarding the donation by the crime boss with a few saying that I had not behaved realistically.  It was at that point that the professor came to my defense and said that my actions had fit the situation and that criminal enterprises and criminals often try to build support in their communities through gifts - much like corporations do.  They are buying respectability and a certain amount of protection.

The fact that criminal enterprises have opportunities to spend on social welfare would seem to be related to government's failure to do so.

Yes, it's unfortunate and wicked that we live in a world where criminals (like some corporations) can amass fortunes while adding to the misery and suffering of others, and no, these sadistic merchants of death should never be glorified.  But if those who take from society want to spend their ill-gotten cash for things that are in the public good, should we reject it?  Money spent in service to the people is that much less that the criminals and corporate greedheads will have to reinvest in their crimes against humanity.

When society fails to take care of its own, someone else may fill that void.  Can beggars be choosers?

I'm glad the children in rural Mexico received the Christmas gifts, and, at the same time, I hope the Federales annihilate the scum who purchased those gifts.