re: #165 Obdicut

Using ‘diseased’ to refer to people with personality disorders is pejorative, and is a bad slope to go down.

True, though you can understand why people, gripped with shock and horror, would use such language when confronted by behavior so evil it seems it could only result from a “sickness.”

By the way, the context for the comments I quoted was this story:

Recovering from a dismal 2009 in which the auction house suffered a $6 million loss, Sotheby’s had a very successful 2010, with a net income of $161 million, according to a Sotheby’s spokesperson. Consolidated sales were up 74 percent from the previous year in 2010, and CEO William Ruprecht’s pay more than doubled to $6 million as a result of the high earnings.

“We were a big part of that success,” said Ide [head of Sotheby’s union]. “And they came to us and asked for cutbacks. It doesn’t make sense.”

So, union members tried to appeal to Diana Taylor (Sotheby’s board member and Mayor Bloomberg’s girlfriend):

“You are on the board of Sotheby’s. Are you on the board of Sotheby’s? Are you going to ignore what’s happening in your name? Are you going to ignore what’s happening? Mrs. Taylor you have the power to do the right thing. Will you please tell us why you’re not doing the right thing? Tell us why you’re not doing the right thing.

Please speak to us. We’re families that are going to lose our health care here. We want to go back to work, we’re hard working New Yorkers. We’re respectful people. We want our jobs back.”

Taylor’s reply is shockingly terse, contemptuous and disrespectful:

“I have one thing to say to you. I have had one conversation with [Sotheby’s CEO] Bill [Ruprecht] about this, and I told him if he accedes to any of your demands I will resign from the board. That’s all I have to say to you. Thank you.”

I have words of my own to describe Ms. Taylor, none of which are printable on this site.