What About the Money?

One of the more interesting aspects of being as involved in blogging the Defonseca Hoax has been some of the emails I have received. I am absolutely gob-smacked, stupefied by our collective schizophrenia about money in this country. On the one hand everything seems to be about money --- getting more, spending more, making more, investing better, etc. and, yet, at the same time there is this huge collective chip-on-the-shoulder about people who actually make money (or appear to, even if they don’t). I’ve gotten a LOT of emails from people claiming to be outraged for any one of a dozen reasons about this case but the big thing that dominates these emails is a question of the money involved.

I can’t tell you how many times people have said that they felt no sympathy for the publisher because she only published the book for the money. Well, excuse me but, DUH! Why does anyone start a business? Why does anyone try to sell their work? In fact, why in the hell does anyone even get out of bed and go to work in the morning? Next question please.

I got a seethingly angry email from a guy who said that regardless of what Misha Defonseca may or may not have done, Jane Daniel was still an unscrupulous business woman that the court found guilty of fraud, deceptive business practices, and mishandling of funds. Yeah, based on the testimony of an admitted liar, perjurer and Holocaust fraud! Is anyone dumb enough to think Defonseca would bring this case against her publisher and then get on the stand and say, “Well, yes, she treated me fairly.” What kind of world do the people who write these letters live in?

The truth is that during the entire trial there was no financial expert witness called, no forensic accountant involved, and, in fact, no public examination of finances. Everyone chose to believe Defonseca’s claims that she received no money. Even when financial documents were entered into evidence they were overlooked by the jury. Daniel’s lawyer has publically stated that when the judgment is overturned he will call for a full financial disclosure of all the monies involved by all parties involved. Who can be dissatisfied with that?

But what this has pointed out to me, above and beyond the case at hand, is how willing all too many people are to accept the judgment of Big Daddy Justice System and how fearful they are of believing that maybe an entire court case ruling could be just plain wrong. I’ve been watching a lot of courtroom drama movies lately (more because I am trying to learn how to write a screenplay than anything having to do with this case) and I am struck by how often “miscarriage of justice” is the basis for a story. It is actually a very good plot line and one that seems to generate endless variations on. So, given how popular these movies are, one would think that people would be more suspicious of court rulings than they tend to be.

Recently, Gloucester, like many communities, is making a concerted effort to bring more business into the community. I could write all day about the issues involved there. But there have been several business proposals --- ranging from a research facility to a boutique hotel --- discussed. I am, again, stunned by the number of people who have a negative reaction to these proposals and justify it saying, “They’re just about money --- they don’t care about the people of Gloucester.” And what, pray tell, do the people of Gloucester need more than an infusion of money?

I don’t get it. Why are we so obsessed with money and, at the same time, so dismissive of the efforts of people to make it? If anyone can figure this out for me, I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading.