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Elie Wiesel Nails Madoff's Character

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Madoff may end up doing the world a huge favour, by acting in such a evil fashion, Madoff and Stanford may end up being the poster boys for psychopath white collar criminals.

As reported in the Stephanie Strom, in the New York Times, here is what Elie Wiesel said about Madoff's crimes.

What does Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor who has dedicated his life to fighting hatred and intolerance, think about Bernard L. Madoff?

" 'Psychopath' -- it's too nice a word for him," Mr. Wiesel said in his first public comments on Mr. Madoff and the Ponzi scheme he is accused ofperpetrating on thousands of individuals and charities, including the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.

" 'Sociopath,' 'psychopath,' it means there is a sickness, a pathology. This man knew what he was doing. I would simply call him thief, scoundrel, criminal."

Dr. Robert Hare is one of the outstanding researchers in the field of white collar criminals who are psychopaths.  People who only use others as a means to an end - a complete inversion of the Kantian moral imperative.

I have argued before that people in fiduciary roles should have undergo periodic testing of character, can they pass the Hare test for psychopathy?  

Shouldn't this be as mandatory as drug tests for atheletes in the financial world that values character more than collateral?

Related articles by ZemantaNobel Laureate Elie Wiesel wiped out by Madoff Ponzi scheme (americablog.com)Elie Wiesel Levels Scorn at Madoff (nytimes.com)Elie Wiesel is Pissed [Revenge] (gawker.com)Oscars 2009: Holocaust survivor defends Kate Winslet film (telegraph.co.uk)Bernard Madoff: One of world's biggest charity foundations forced to shut (telegraph.co.uk)Slate's field guide to financial scams. (slate.com)Madoff's Victims: Finding Meaning in the Devastation (time.com)Rabbis may halt Vatican talks over Holocaust-denying priest (guardian.co.uk)

Full post as published by Misleading Advertising Law on March 02, 2009 (boomark / email).