Ken Lay, Rest in Pieces

Ken Lay's unexpected death complicates prosecutors' bid to seize pieces of his estate, but that doesn't mean the man shouldn't be punished even in death, judging from the fury of some who can't quite believe they no longer have Lay to represent the intrinsic villany of capitalism. Hey, don't get me wrong; I have no use for a guy who clearly lied, cheated, and stole his way to enormous wealth at the expense stockholders too numerous to name. I confess that I was looking forward to the day when he moved into a federal prison. But let's keep our spirits bright; there's hope that Lay in his death can continue to personify unmitigated evil. Idea: since he's has become a poster kid for the worst excesses of free enterprise, the least Lay's family can do is turn over his corpse to an angry mob so they can rend his flesh to pieces. Let those who hated Ken Lay have the opportunity to express the categorical hatred they didn't or couldn't bring to bear when Zarqawi assumed room temperature a few weeks ago. As for those who got cheated by Enron, here's hoping they leave no stone unturned in going after Lay's estate in civil court. Their chances for recovery ain't great, but they deserve to fight for every cent they can reclaim.