Letters to the Editor
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We who are ignorant of the past are condemned to repeat it.
There are a couple of points to be made. I suspect that much of the regulation that was rolled back was pre-existing Roosevelt era regulation that was enacted to prevent abuses like those abuses performed by Enron. I think a close inspection of the situation will find that many of he regulations that were rolled back had a purpose ... to keep the free market a little fairer.
As hard as this is to believe you understate Ken Lay's influence in Washington. Longtime Frontline viewers will remember a show where it is revealed that Ken Lay is performing personell interviews for the Bush administration as the Bush administration is looking for a new FERC head. Talk about conflict of interest, he was interviewing his own regulator!!! The highlight of the show was when the Frontline host told the existing Clinton appointed FERC head that he was being replaced and to, in effect, sharpen up his cv. If someone can find the clip it makes for riviting, sad, funny television.
I guess each generation must learn for itself because the kernel of one generation's experience is difficult to pass on to the next.