05.03.2012 10:55 AM

Lorrie Goldstein is a conservative

But he’s one I admire a great deal.

Here’s another reason why.

15 Comments

  1. Christian says:

    Much better than today’s sickening editoral in the Globe. Reading that made me want to puke. How many of us would get such fawning, colonialist type (i.e.: “He’s a proper member of the Upper Canada Elite. One of your betters don’t you know”) treatment?

    BTW, here it is in case you haven’t seen it

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/conrad-black-deserves-a-second-chance/article2420546/

    Just in time for lunch!

  2. Geoffrey Laxton says:

    Regardless of what you think of Conrad Black, I suspect the US Justice System came down on him like a Monty Python 16 Ton weight because they needed to put some sort of executive in prison, whilst letting most of Wall Street off Scot-free!

    • kenn2 says:

      Never mind the rest; did Black break laws or not? Pretty clear he did. As is frequent at high levels, it wasn’t the original accusations that did him in, it was the cover-up he attempted. Sorta like Capone getting sent up for tax evasion.

      I speculate that when initially investigated, Black’s hubris made him dig his heels in, where a more slippery character would have made the best deal possible at the outset, thereby avoiding prison.

    • Conservative Socialist says:

      The Conrad Black case came to light well before the 2008 Wall Street crisis, however.

      But he is fairly small fish compared to the crimes perpetrated by the Wall Street scum.

      Should he be given a chance to re-enter Canada? That’s not for me to say, but if it was up to my Dad (ex-Dominion employee) he would be tarred and feathered into perpetuity!

  3. Tim Lemieux says:

    Black’s a Conservative, who probably once a upon a time would have idolized the U.S. justice system, but he’s written some really good articles on the how it punishes the poor and black and mentally ill. He’s really taken the Harper government to task for their own criminal legislation.Maybe people who oppose the more extreme Harper ideas on drugs, prison sentences, etc should maybe be encouraging his return.

  4. Cameron Prymak says:

    I’ve read and enjoyed Mr. Black’s bios on FDR and Nixon but this is ironic. We’re an accepting and generous society when it comes to people showing genuine contrition but Mr. Black is clinging too tightly to the notion that he is ‘not a criminal’.

    Doubly ironic that a government elected on a promise to get tough on crime is championing this cause.

    Mr. Black is wealthy and has a lot of experience and if he’s a changed person we’d be better off as a society with him as part of it. I believe people can change when they’re ready and when they demonstrate that then we need to accept them. It would be ironic if progressives rejected such an appeal.

    • Michael says:

      According to Conrad Black he is as innocent as the driven snow. His conviction was only the work of an over zealous prosecutor. πŸ˜‰

  5. Merrill Smith says:

    I despise his Lardship as much as the next guy, but I’m coming around to the conclusion there is no overwhelming reason he can be denied re-entry. That said, Canada does not owe him anything. He should not be allowed to jump the queue (I thought Harperites hated queue jumpers.) He should not have been allowed to apply from jail. He should have to wait his turn, even if it means deportation back to the House of Lords.

    • Jim Hanna says:

      He had to apply from jail in order to have the paperwork prior to his release; I don’t see how he jumped any queue there.

  6. student501 says:

    What’s the problem ????

    Until further notice Canadians ELECTED the Harper MAJORITY and they are now getting EXACTLY what they voted for.

    Canadians have another 3 years to look forward with this government.

    If Canadians are truly upset with the conduct of this government they can vote them out next time, but the simple fact is they won’t because the voter turnout in Canada has been a joke for years.

  7. Not that Gord says:

    I don’t share your affection for Lorrie Goldstein. I find him vapid and intellectually shallow, blinkered in his opinions and blind to evidence. But no doubt you can be all that and a nice enough guy.

  8. Dan says:

    There ARE conservatives who actually believe in conservative principles.

    Too bad for them, they’re not in charge of the movement.

    Conservative principles have always been a thin justification for the worst kind of greed, the kind that only benefits a tiny number of powerful people.

    Everyone else is just along for the ride.

  9. Jim Hanna says:

    I read a lot about this case at the time, and moreover I have worked on documents that and I was shocked he was convicted. He was an easy target at a time when the US Justice system wanted to bloody some executives; with his arrogance and lifestyle.

    His prosecution demonstrated the worst aspects of the US Justice system and a criminal justice system that is so heavily loaded in favour of the prosecution, that its no wonder it has some of the highest incarceration rates in the world.

    The so-called “shareholder advocates” who brought forward the allegations took over the company, raped it for hundred of millions of dollars, and left it a bankrupt penny stock. The National Post was a far better newspaper when he founded it then it is today. He was convicted over such supposed frauds as diverting money to himself instead of a private company which he owned 100%. The obstruction charge was extraterritorial and convicted him for an action in Canada to comply with a Canadian court – and which I doubt actually denied the US prosecution any information.

    From all accounts he is a miserable, arrogant, pompous SOB. He pissed a lot of Canadians off when he gave up his citizenship. I don’t agree with most of his politics. But fortunately being a miserable arrogant pompous SOB isn’t a crime in this country. As for the trumped up, spurious charges he was convicted off – he did his time; he’s lost his companies, the usurpers bankrupted them – he paid his penance. He most certainly should be allowed back.

    • kenn2 says:

      If your argument is that Black got slammed for stuff that other big wheels generally get away with, then I might agree with you.

      Nonetheless… Black fiddled and skimmed, like I suspect many tycoons do to some extent, and in the midst of that he got caught sanitizing the files. He has and had access to the best legal talent money can buy, which usually counts for alot in the US system, yet the prosecution still made something stick.

      He had to apply from jail in order to have the paperwork prior to his release; I don’t see how he jumped any queue there.

      His application received expedited handling, we all know that. But it doesn’t bother me. Nor does the fact that he’s returning to Canada in one way or another. Citizenship? Get in line, but don’t get your hopes up. Laurels? You must be joking. He’s a convicted criminal. And why are we still calling Mr Black ‘LORD’?

      I expect that he will have the good sense to dote on his wife, and concentrate on his excellent scholarship and writing, which I look forward to (except for the self-pitying stuff) . His advocacy on prison reform is most welcome.

  10. Iris Mclean says:

    Wouldn’t surprise me if Herr Harper sends a Challenger jet to pick him up.

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