TB, you're right about Michael's life being a tragedy and the reasons for it. The path he followed was his choice. However, power is intoxicating. Is anyone on this Board familiar with the life of a Mafia Don? I'd say no. Who knows what they think and feel. Does power go to their heads? How different is hteir decision-making different from ours. Many of us think we know what they think and feel and that is the standard against which we in these posts judge Michael's behavior. Of course, he was human; he made choices. His choices were probably made for the same reason that we all make choices; they are based on a combination of emotion and/or objectives. Murdering Fredo was an emotional decision; murdering Sollozzo was pursuant to a practical objective.
You make fair points. However I could never bring myself to harm somebody even for millions of dollars and I couldnt steal either. I think most people feel the same. The reasons i dont feel bad for mike is because he had every oppurtunity to live a straight life but he was greedy. i mean the immediate corleone family could have left the crime family to somebody else and just lived a normal life but they didnt
