Sometimes you wonder how it is possible that some people could be adored, although they have done awful things. To which extent could you forgive people? Michelle Martin for instance, the ex-wife of pedophile murderer Dutroux in Belgium. A few months back I saw a documentary on Dutch television that there are still many Russian longing back to the (good old?) time that Stalin ruled the Soviet Republics, but whose regime cost millions of lives. Recently there were pro-Nazi demonstrations in Denmark.

On a sometimes smaller scale directors give themselves a (too high) bonus, although their performance was more than lousy. Are we able to say that's OK, when they leave the company for another well paid job? Some had a policy that was built upon lies. You can still forgive him? Do in habitants of some African nations forgive their corrupted leaders? But to unmask liars or corruptors we don't have to go to Africa.

What about Tiger Woods, who mistook the holes on the green for others (my apologies for the equation). Or what to think of Lance Armstrong, who has not reacted yet upon the accusations of  the United States Anti-Doping Agency's case against him. Many other cyclists who were in his team during many years, finally admitted to have used illegal performance-enhancing drugs, so especially their leader Armstrong was able to win many cycling races, among  these were seven Tour de France victories. On Monday October 22 the   UCI (the International Cycling Union) deprived Armstrong from all these victories and suspended him for life. Most of his fellow cyclists confessed and came with detailed information on how Armstrong ruled his team. For those who wonder why all these professionals waited so long to open their mouth: it is expected to keep your mouth shut in the platoon (peleton), otherwise you become an outcast. Between the lines some journalists stated (as an excuse) that Armstrong was also the man who raised in fifteen years almost half a billion dollar for his foundation, Livestrong, for the battle against cancer.

Well, although he lied for so many years to the media and the public, misled so many people, he did also something good. Do we forgive him? It seems that through the ages liars, even those who make lots of victims, will be adored by certain people.

WUP 23/10/12