More on Harry

From the Seattle Times...

"It's not the fact he was having an affair - that is not a violation of our code of conduct," the chairman (Lew Platt) said. As the company explored the circumstances surrounding the relationship, however, it discovered "some issues of poor judgment" that impaired Stonecipher's ability to lead the company, he said.

Umm...because boffing one of your employees isn't, in and of itself, a matter of poor judgement?

By accepting Boeing's request to resign, Stonecipher became entitled to what Platt called a "standard retirement package." Details were not disclosed.

Son of a bitch!!!! Harry gets shit-canned for violating Boeing's Code of Ethical Conduct and his punishment is...a full retirement package?? WTF?! I repeat: What...the...fuck...is wrong here? If I were fired for ethical violations, you can be damn sure I wouldn't be receiving any benefits package! This good-ol-boy, protect-the-rich-white-male-criminal system of doing business is absolute bullshit! If Harry sullied the good name (and I use the term extremely loosely) of Boeing, violated ethics, embarrassed the company and tarnished its ability to do business, why is he being rewarded? I say, yank his pension, revoke the company contributions to his 401K, kick him in the ass and maybe hold the door open as he's tossed through it.

The woman involved in the affair remains with the company, although Platt said "I don't know what she will decide to do."

Wait a tick. Did she not violate company ethics by engaging in this affair the same as Harry? Oh, wait...she's an executive, too. And probably not eligible for retirement yet, so they'll let her stick around until she can collect her full retirement benefit.

The tough-talking son of a Tennessee coal miner, Stonecipher had been credited with helping Boeing to clean up its ethical behavior and with improving its sullied reputation in Washington.

Hahahahaha. Oopsie! This is just too rich. If it weren't for the board giving Harry a nice handshake and a couple of boatloads of cash as a parting gift, I'd really be enjoying this whole thing.

From MSN Money...

"Harry ... was really the staunchest supporter of the code of conduct,'' Platt said.

Meaning what, exactly? That he supported ethical behavior or that he supported forcing all of us peons to sign a silly piece of paper that was supposed to make Boeing look like a company full of ethical people. I submit it was clearly the latter. It's all about appearances.

It's been said in a UK commentary piece regarding Harry getting sacked that we're to puritanical in this country (ya think?) and that Harry's ouster was a bit extreme. Now, I'm a pretty liberal guy and I wouldn't pass judgement on Harry for doing whatever he chooses to do in his private life. I don't care if he's having extra-marital sex. That's his and his wife's business, not mine. But, what pisses me off so much is the hypocrisy. First of him touting these high ethical standards (and then not adhering to them) and then the kid-glove treatment he's been given. To ram-rod a piece of paper called the "Code of Conduct", and our mandatory signatures on it, down our throats as the savior of the company's image and then pull this crap is just...it's just the height of hypocrisy.