Scrooge obeying the law

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

DON ROSA to me, 20-01-2004:

>> Rosa's Scrooge can be *very* mean, cold, and selfish. Just try to 
>> list the Rosa stories in which Scrooge is unfair to Donald. And how 
>> do Donald's wages compare to his work, which is full of stress and
>> pure danger?
>> Scrooge as honest person? Humbug!

> Come now. The man was talking about $crooge being a criminal, not 
> merely mistreating his exploitable nephew.

As I understood it, the subject was about Scrooge always obeying the 
law. And so I answered that Scrooge doesn't always do that.

> I don't know what other writers do with $crooge, but "my" $crooge 
> McDuck is not a lawbreaker. You'll notice that he *always* turns in 
> the treasures he finds in my stories to the local governments or 
> landowners.

Turning in treasures to local governments is indeed according to the 
law. But that doesn't necessarily mean that Scrooge is always obeying 
the law on other points. Molesting people is against the law. So, in 
that light, Scrooge *is* a lawbreaker.

Maybe such a molested person should go to the police, and complain 
about Scrooge. But I wonder if that would be of any help, trying to 
get tycoon Scrooge arrested for his molesting. In at least one of your 
stories, 'Attaaack!' (F PM 00201), Scrooge has powers over of both the 
army and the police. He simply phones them and reminds them that he 
owns the bank that manages the pension fund for the entire police 
department, and that he pays most of the taxes for the army's salaries. 
After having made these hazy comments, Scrooge orders the entire police 
force and the army to come to his money bin. And little later, Scrooge 
orders the army's general to fire, which results in promptly blasting 
every building in range to smithereens. These actions strongly suggest 
that, at least in Duckburg, Scrooge has shady connections with the 
authorities. At least with the police and the army. If this isn't a 
corrupt situation, it's at least awfully close to it. Would a victim 
of Scrooge have change to file a complain at the police department, 
while that same Scrooge can promptly call away the entire police force, 
simply because he *thinks* he's in danger?

Maybe your Scrooge doesn't really break the law. But he does play with 
it, in a way that a lot of rich companies and tycoons seem to do. 

--- Daniël

"Stop! You don't know what you're doing to yourself"
(Which Barks story?) :-)