It's a German Word That Has No Equivalent in English. It Is a

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

It's a German word that has no equivalent in English. It is a combination of two words, Schaden (damage, harm, misfortune) and Freude (joy, happiness) which refers to the private feeling of joy while watching someone suffering from great misfortune. For example, if you have a fellow office worker that you do not like very much, you feel Schadenfreude when that coworker gets called on the carpet by the boss, and even greater Schadenfreude if that coworker gets fired.

Schadenfreude is what I feel in watching New York Governor Eliot Spitzer crash and burn today. As the prosecutor in New York, he single-handedly committed murder of a profitable company here in Milwaukee, putting hundreds of people out of work and causing the loss of a great community asset.

Spitzer went after a man named Richard Strong, who built a huge financial empire, from scratch, that marketed mutual funds and other financial instruments in a company called Strong Funds. Mr. Strong himself was a pillar of the community, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities, he supported local sports teams and generally was the epitome of a pillar of a community.

But Spitzer hated him and hated his company, so he went after Strong Funds and went after Richard Strong himself. As near as anyone can tell, the only real crime Richard Strong committed was to build a huge financial empire in Wisconsin, instead of New York, and to become a self-made millionaire.

(Note: I wrote this post yesterday and withheld publishing it, for some reason. Today, it seems like a good idea to post it. It appears that Spitzer is trying to hold on to be Governor, while many in New York are discussing impeachment if he doesn't resign. Stay tuned - this is going to get very, very interesting.)

 

[janetupnorth]

Thanks for bringing up my past German classes! I actually remembered learning that one about 2 decades ago.

I caught up on a little of the story today! It will get very interesting.


I am amazed by the amount of Schadenfreud in the world!

 

[susanr613]

I'm amazed by the amount of chutzpah that Spitzer committed a crime against the law and his family and thought no one would ever find out.

karma....you can't get around it!

 

[katie0128]

You know what turns my stomach the most about government employees involved in any scandal where someone else is paid for an illegal and/or unethical activity??? Think about what money they are using to pay for these "services". Most likely it is what they earned in their paycheck. And where, pray tell, does THAT money come from? Directly from MY POCKET and my hard and honest and ethical work that I do to provide a home and food for my children. Not only am I utterly disappointed in them as people, but I feel completely violated... almost as if I was personally robbed.

 

[chefshawna]

What kills me is that his wife is just standing behind him in support everytime you see him talking about the whole thing. If I were her I'd already have a lawyer and take his A** for all he has. I just don't understand how your husband can pay for prostitutes and then you find out about it and stand behind him. Even if it is for looks only, I couldn't do it!!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

That reminds me of the guy who worked at the circus. He had the job of cleaning up behind the elephants, and one day he was complaining to his friends about how lousy it was to clean up behind the elephants."Why don't you quit?" his friend asked."WHAT?!?" he exclaimed, "And give up show business?!?"Same concept.

 

[chefann]

We're experiencing a political scandal in Detroit, too - and I must admit to feeling the same way about the main player. The mayor of Detroit was caught sending incriminating text messages to his former chief of staff (and mistress) about a lawsuit that the city settled to the tune of several million dollars. He's had a press conference that was purposely held in a church with his wife by his side, to make him look innocent. People are calling for his resignation, too, because this is just the latest in a string of inappropriate behavior on his part.

 

[Dayna]

I feel bad for the wife. I mean her world has to be crashing around her and she is proably on auto piolt how does she explain what has happened to her family to her 3 daughters. She looks like the NJ wife of the govenor or mayor when he said he was gay. She has to be out of it

 

[katie0128]

I feel bad for the wife. I mean her world has to be crashing around her and she is proably on auto piolt how does she explain what has happened to her family to her 3 daughters. She looks like the NJ wife of the govenor or mayor when he said he was gay. She has to be out of it

I saw her (the NJ gov's wife) in an interview last night about that press conference. She said she only found out about the affair an hour before the press conference and was too stunned to think clearly. She said had it been a day or so BEFORE the press conference, she probably would not have stood with him during it.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Leno says she's the second most p***ed off wife in New York.

 

[ted122781]

Kind of brash!
I watched the mini/short press conference.
I saw his wife and all I could think of was that, "She's gonna kick his a** as soon as they get away from cameras."

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

It's official - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080312/ap_on_re_us/spitzer_prostitution effective on Monday. You want the best part, though? His wife wanted him to stay on! From the http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/nyregion/12cnd-spitzer.html?_r=2&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin: "Close aides to the governor suggested on Tuesday that the mood in the Spitzer home was tense, with the governor’s wife, Silda Wall Spitzer, recommending that he not step down, but they cautioned that the situation could change at any time."What, and give up show business?

 

[katie0128]

One of the local radio hosts here was commenting that he thought Silda showed ENORMOUS restraint... his thought process was that if HE (radio host) did the same thing, he'd be lucky if his wife didn't kill him before he even got to the press conference. If he did make it, he'd be covered with frying pan and rolling pin shaped bruises everywhere and probably a black eye or two and maybe a fat lip.

 

[SusanBP0129]

Good riddance! (sp?)

 

[ted122781]

$4300 for a "session". I think I could find better ways to spend my money.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

He blew enough cash that he could have bought matching his-n-hers Corvettes.What a pompous blockhead.

 

[baychef]

Just wanted to look up the Richard Strong story and here is a link:
Trouble At The Top Strong Funds founder Dick Strong is accused of making rapid market-timing trades in his own firm's mutual funds - December 1, 2003
Yes, CNN reported it, but it was written by Money Magazine.

I will refrain from commenting on this current scandal with Spitzer with the exception that as a New Yorker, I too am beyond disappointed and disgusted with what he has done. His wife has to live with her choices...it wouldn't be my choice, however. Nuff said.

 

[lkprescott]

$4300 for a "session". I think I could find better ways to spend my money.

Wow... that's a lot of Pampered Chef stuff!

 

[kathijenkins]

I wouldn't want to be that guy when his wife gets him behind closed doors What is wrong with these people!?! And by the way...thanks KG for teaching me a new German word...now to find an appropriate time to say it! ~ I'm sure my landlord would love to hear the latest word his crazy American tentant has learned! hehe

 

[janetupnorth]

Leno says she's the second most p***ed off wife in New York.

Let me guess, Bill is the first?

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

$4300 for a "session". I think I could find better ways to spend my money.

Wow... that's a lot of Pampered Chef stuff!

Well, yes, but according to Chefann's magic spreadsheet, not enough to buy one of everything in the catalong!

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Outtake from a conversation at work, as we all stood around watching CNN:Me: Look at his wife. She hasn't slept in like a week.
Boss: Not with HIM!