Eliot Spitzer to Speak on Ethics at Harvard

Wow. I'm disappointed but I can't really say I'm surprised.

Mark it in your calendars - November 12th, disgraced former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer, who quit his post as a result of his hypocritical involvement in with prostitution, is going to be speaking at Harvard University's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics.  Granted, he won't be speaking about ethics per se, but rather about what should be the rationale for government "participation" in the marketplace.  But the real question is whether a Governor, who made a name for himself aggressively exposing criminal activity,

As attorney general, Spitzer prosecuted cases relating to corporate white collar crime, securities fraud, internet fraud and environmental protection. He most notably pursued cases against companies involved in computer chip price fixing, investment bank stock price inflation, predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders, fraud at American International Group, and the 2003 mutual fund scandal. He also sued Richard Grasso, the former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, claiming he had failed to fully inform the board of directors of his deferred compensation package, which exceeded $140 million.

and then was caught in a scandal himself is really the right person to be pontificating on anything at an educational Center for Ethics.  Secondly, why is a Center for Ethics talking about why the government should be involved in the marketplace?  Is it really a central discussion point on ethics, or just a way to spoon feed more dogma to an impressionable young population?  And even if that is a legitamate ethical discussion, where is the counterpoint to Spitzer, who undoubtedly will try to justify and rationalize government participation in the marketplace?

It all reflects poorly on Harvard.  Is Harvard in the business of teaching or indoctrinating?  This clearly is a glaring example of its seeming belief that it's main objective is the latter.  If I was paying for a tuition to Harvard for myself or my child, I'd be pretty angry over this waste of money and blatant disregard for education to serve the purpose of indoctrination.  Harvard degrees - will they still be worth the paper they are written on in 50 years, or will Harvard end up a subsidiary of MSNBC?

UPDATE:  On the same calendar, Robert Reich (Berkeley professor and formerly President Clinton's Labor Secretary) - April 5th, 2010 - "Everyday Corruption: How Intensifying Market Competition Leads to Abuses of Public Trust, and What Should Be Done".  Note the premise - market competition is inherently corrupting.  Note also that the pontification starts in the lecture title.  It's not 'what can be done' but 'what should be done'.