Maggie's Farm

While the Mafia is highly stereotypical, we all have to accept that stereotypes exist for a reason. As an Irishman, I'm accepting of the concept that my ancestors were drunken, brawling, horse thieves with good senses of humor.

It's worth noting virtually every culture has some form of organized crime. Here in the US, the Westies (Irishmen) were famous for their impact on NYC crime. It's also worth noting men like Arnold Rothstein, Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel played a role in the growth of organized crime - hardly an Italian/Sicilian niche.

That all said, I find it amusing there are still many people who don't recognize the reason organized crime exists. It fills the gaps that people perceive exist in communities. Which is why government supposedly came into being.
So, essentially, government is a legalized form of crime because...we vote for the people who commit crimes against us. Which makes it OK.

N'Dragheta, Mafia, whatever they called it, arose with the decline of the Roman Empire. The tax collectors (the original middle class) would be given an amount to send back each year, but they got to set the level of collection, and kept the difference as their 'fee'. As Rome collapsed, the tax collectors just stopped sending the fees back to Rome. So it's no surprise mobsters call their fees 'taxes'.

It's also no surprise government, recognizing organized crime as a competitor, likes taking down the mobsters. It's just another example of business competition, but one side gets to claim 'legitimacy'. In The Godfather, Michael Corleone recognized this when Kay says to him politicians didn't have people killed. Michael, having come home a war hero, simply said "Who is being naive now, Kay?"

I happened to watch the saga this weekend, and as much as some may be upset about how this stereotyped Italians or Sicilians in the US, these same people have to recognize and be proud of the cultural additions these films made to society. So much of our business culture has learned valuable lessons from these films.

I noted what great leaders Michael Corleone and his father were. They maintained a cool composure. They were generous, and loyal. They thought through their problems, rather than attacking them in a headstrong fashion. Santino's death was a perfect contrast of styles, showing how being too much of a thug can undermine the business and lead to an undesirable outcome. In many ways, it is a great film for learning management.

Except for all the murder that took place.