Whither Braggadocio?

Imagine the miserable suspense that holds Lord Black in thrall as he awaits his sentencing in Chicago. For he is somewhat perturbed at the prospect of what possibly awaits his near future, make no mistake. This, despite his post-trial boasting that no evil would befall him, he would be spared, for he places great trust in justice and in justice would the truth prevail.

Rather absurd, given that he was already in the dock for serious offences, charged and found guilty of fraud and obstruction of justice.

Yet, he uttered, with great self confidence, the court would "yield a just result". Conceivably offering him a gentle slap on his upturned wrist, gently chide him for his ethical indiscretions, and casually wave him on without any tedious and time-consuming penalties, to the next phase of his life, which he is more than ready to embark upon.

In the interim, that space of time between verdict and sentencing, a little nervous mouse of "what-if" has been nibbling away at his confidence.

It's just not fair! We should all of us exhale a sigh of regret and compassion on behalf of this insufficiently-appreciated man whose footprint on the world stage has never quite been given the acknowledgement he so desperately seeks. Celebrity yes, pile it on. Notoriety, no thank you. They've both been earned, though. One sought, the other befallen. Life is so unfair.

He is, after all, a "person with a deep reservoir of kindness and generosity, one who has made significant contributions to society", we are informed. Who could doubt that he is a kind and generous man, particularly to himself, acceding graciously to his inherent need to succeed, to garner praise, and to heap upon himself titles and cash awards, equal to his status in life?

His contributions to society? Well, for starters, his keen eye in purchasing bargain-sale business on the cusp of ruin, raping their resources, booting out their employees, and tossing aside the spent shell. Then there's his literary accomplishments: his affinity for elegant prose and the dense dark matter of language and history granting the world yet more biographies of hitherto-overlooked political personalities of little note: like Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Still, for the piddling social infringement of the law whereby he undertook to enrich himself a trifle illegally, he has endured, we are also informed "unimaginable pain" as a result of "immeasurable suffering" during the past five years. Years during which his integrity has been impugned, his honesty and dignity have been called into question and defiled by nasty charges of corruption.

Ah, the character witnesses that have been brought forth to attest to his sound character and value to society; impressive beyond doubt. All agreeing that tough sentencing guidelines proposed for Lord Black "offends fundamental notions of justice". In that this sterling character whose unctuous pomposity and sense of self-entitlement so given to titles and ermine cloaks is undeserving of society's censure and the weight of justice declared.

Ah - schadenfreude at the plight of this beleaguered man of letters, captain of industry fallen from grace. How unkind, how perfectly untoward life can prove to be. This is not the avaricious cynic of regal aspirations we of the great unwashed take him to be, not at all. This is a good-natured and sweet-tempered man who seeks to acquire only that which he has rightly earned, in his regard.

The consequences of which have, in the most twisted fashion, caused him great pain as he "has watched his family suffer untold agonies at the hands of the savage and reckless press"; as his health and that of his family have been impaired through the onset of severe problems related "to the tribulations endured by the entire family".

His public outbursts proclaiming his innocence, despite the damning evidence and eloquent witness brought against him in a trial of law, should have alerted us to his innocence. Justice truly is blind, that it could not recognize the nobility of this man. He knows, though; he predicted his acquittal before, during and after his trial.

That his manner and confidence irritated his prosecutors (persecutors!) and trial Judge St. Eve is well known. And really, most unfortunate.

But truly, we know him not; he is but a family man, a loving father and husband. An intellectual, author, business proprietor, a standard-bearer of all that is admirable in a public figure of sterling repute. A man of deep spiritual faith - one who has installed his own very personal "spare and elegant" chapel in his Toronto mansion.

What do we grubby onlookers know of the true value of such patricians among us who, after all, are entitled to certain passes in life that we are not. The wealthy are not like those of society's benighted ordinary class.

Just ask Lord Black of Cross Harbour.