Go, Latvian Neo!

Gotta love the internet. A hacker in Latvia who calls himself Neo is busy posting the salaries of people masterminding cutbacks for regular citizens. According to the tax records Neo “stole” from the government, some employees of the Latvian central bank take home more than 40,000 dollars a month while wages are being slashed in the rest of the country.

This sort of greed is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it would be sensational if “leaders” anywhere led by example and cut their own wages. Also familiar is the assignment of blame (“hacker”, “steal”, etc) to the guy who brings this conduct to light. In my view, the problem is the inflated wages of those close to power; not that fact that someone uncovers them. Why are records of government employees kept secret in the first place?

I know we’re not supposed to like hackers, but I’m making an exception in Neo’s case. He deserves a raise.