Nonsense. When Time Warner merged with AOL, it was hailed a "bet the company" deal. Few would deem it a success yet despite a devastating loss of shareholder value, two hearts still beat. And most other companies in similar straits are still standing (e.g., Alcatel-Lucent). As for those in charge of these corporate train wrecks, despite bad press, firings, fines and, in some cases, jail time, most are not only still employed but astonishingly well employed.
This is nothing new; even Abraham Lincoln lost most every election up until he became President of the United States. That there are second chances is a good thing. It creates a social context in which folks actually can swing for the fences - achieve something great - and not have to worry about the damning consequences of failure. Start-ups come and go. Old businesses are liquidated. People move on and try again. It's in our country's DNA and, thankfully, it's spreading all over the world.
These are very interesting times we now live in. The halcyon days, the sweet innocence of youth is forever shortening. That in and of itself is both bad and quite sad news for all. Let us hope that despite this cultural acceleration, we can at the very least continue the tradition of forgiveness for lesser sins and forever embrace that far more reasonable response for trying and not succeeding; that being, "try, try again"...
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