CRIME AND PUNISHMENT-- DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

In between the breathtaking Humayun's Tomb complex, the Qawwalis singing in front of the darga of sufi saint Hazrat Nizmuddin, and wandering back through time in the twisting, muddy lane of backstreet Old Delhi, I'm managing to keep up on current events by watching the BBC Worldwide and the local news channel, NDTV. Earlier today I was watching a BBC news program with an Indian friend that featured back to back segments on Barry Bonds and Howard Krongard. He seemed more stunned than I was.

Bonds, who is a black ballplayer, is accused of the crime of lying about using steroids so that he could hit more home runs. The report says he faces 30 years in prison. I suppose the number of years even minor members of the Bush Regime would face is all but incalculable-- not to mention the arch-criminals in the regime. But then on comes the Krongard news: he resigned as State Department inspector general. "Cookie" Krongard is a white Republican, and, like Bonds, he has been accused of criminal behavior. But his wasn't a crime against a game like baseball, as serious as that may be.

No, Cookie is accused of hindering the investigation of, and thereby facilitating and conspiring with, the GOP Blackwater mercenary firm in committing, in effect, war crimes. (In congressional testimony he somehow managed not to know--or, according to his brother "Buzzy," to forget--that his brother was a Blackwater adviser.) There was no mention, nor even a hint, in the report of an indictment for Krongard-- Bonds has already been indicted-- or of a trial or a prison term.

My Indian friend seemed confused and somewhat amused by the juxtoposition of the two stories. "Thirty years for the ball player and not a mention of any punishment for the war criminal? What has happened to your country? Will Hillary be able to fix it?" I told him the question is if she will even want to fix what is wrong with my country.


STATESIDE UPDATE--It's not over yet for Cookie

Don't forget that the feds have been circling in on Barry Bonds for eons now. They're just getting started on Cookie. It appears that he may be facing a perjury rap of his own, for starters. For more on his departure, see Saturday's Quote of the Day.--Ken