Sooey Says

So, are apologies the new black or something? Because I've noticed lately a couple of people who, a decade or two ago would have been fired - BOOM! - just like that, are being allowed to apologize in hopes that it's enough to make up for the transgression.

Well, in the first case, Shock Jock, Don Imus, it wasn't. In the second case, Paul Wolfowitz, it might be.

That's because Don Imus ultimately got nailed by advertisers saying, "We don't accept your apology". But Paul Wolfowitz is a top gun at Bush Inc. There is no market to decide his fate. That's the beauty and the beast of party politics.

But why was Don Imus allowed to apologize, anyway? I mean, there's really just one rule in radio - "If you're a sexist racist, don't say on air what you'd normally just say to other sexist racists". It's not rocket science. It's radio. You've got listeners. If you're on MSNBC, a large number of them are probably black, too. Maybe even women. And black women buy stuff. So, when you say of a girl's (although, they've been elevated to women, now) basketball team, and you're a 67 year old white man, that they're a bunch of "nappy-headed ho's", you should probably just be fired. BOOM! There's really no way to apologize for that - NOT because it's a crime against humanity, or anything - but because you said it.

I mean, seriously. Who says stuff like that who's not an idiot? It's not funny, humorous, mildly amusing. It's not even shocking. We all (d'une certaine age) grew up with sexist racists saying all kinds of sexist racist things. They got away with it then because, well, people were stupid back in those days. And perversely proud of it. But I'm talking about 30 years ago or more in Northern Ontario where there weren't even any black women around to be saying sexist racist things about.

Not that it stopped people from saying them.

But why the hell is it on the radio in the United States in the year 2007?

For that matter, why is a 67 year old on the radio in the United States in the year 2007? I mean, c'mon. Retire already. Shock jock? Yeah. Right. 'Cause that wasn't over as soon as it began somewhere back in the '50s.

Anyway, I couldn't imagine the point to the apology. What do you really say other than, "I probably shouldn't have said 'nappy-headed ho' about a black woman's basketball team on the air, but obviously I did, so... I'll just be resigning now before I get fired."

Good Gawd covered in Gravy.

And now, Paul Wolfowitz apologizing for helping his partner, Shaha Riza, win a promotion to a high-paying job at the World Bank - OF WHICH HE IS PRESIDENT - during an anti-corruption drive - that has led to the suspension of aid to some countries. No less. And now, the board of the international lender is wasting even more money holding meetings to consider Mr Wolfowitz's future.

Dude. Resign. You got caught - so the apology comes too late and is therefore meaningless. Apologizing to save your job isn't apologizing. And who are you apologizing to, anyway? All the countries whose aid has been suspended while you ran a little personal pro-corruption drive of your own on the side?

C'mon. Apologies are only valid when followed-up with resignations. Otherwise, it's just "I'm sorry I got caught". And since we all know that, why are we pretending we don't? Of course you're sorry you got caught. You're friggin' President of the World Bank and even your own employees are pretty much calling you out. Rule Number One, Stupid - "If you basically work for Bush Inc., don't pay your girlfriend more'n the President pays HIS girlfriend."

So like, not to be cruel or anything, but shouldn't we be wondering how a guy who thinks he's not going to get caught helping his partner to the money in the till when he's running the store ever got to such a high office in the first place? Is he that stupid? Or is he that corrupt.

Because I'm sorry to say this but - it's one or the other.

And no - I'm not really sorry.