That's how the world works. If you're the ruler of a country, you make the laws and the key decisions as well at the end of the day. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, so for mob guys, great mafia leaders who follow the traditional styles of leadership within the mob may be seen as great where as for the drug addicts mother or the sister of a degenerate beat up gambler it's all the mobs fault e.t.c.
If there's one quote I have always liked from the movie Witness to the Mob, it was "when things go good and to plan, things are good...but when you slip up, everything really starts to get fucked up" or something along those lines. I feel this quote can not only be applied to the mob but a lot of things in the dirty side of that whole secretive world.
There was once a law that said somewhere in some godforsaken place that everyone must die at the age of 50. The ruler of this land wasn't that old yet, but when his time came around the law was changed in the click of a finger. I guess what I'm trying to say is that laws, traditions, culture and decisions and so on can be changed when it best suits the majority or whoever is in charge. Back in the 50's-80's, organized crime in general was public enemy number one where as now it's terrorism. Back then, mafia members were probably the worst thing you could have been depicted as, whether you were a loan shark or an illegal bookie. Now it's Terrorists, and being seen to act like a mafia member is now considered cool and suave.
For some people, gambling is a harmless crime, for others it is then worst thing invented, for some, drugs are seen in much the same way and it's the same with loan sharks and anyone else. For the borrower who's business became successful he Thanks the Shark! For the one's who had their business taken over and turned into a brothel curses the loan shark e.t.c. The world will never agree on anything, human beings by nature have their own opinions and will always come into conflict over anything and will usually do anything to improve their own status and limit misery. That's why mob members like to lay low and make money quietly, more money and less heat. That's why some ordinary folk say to lock up criminals for life despite whatever crime they committed, because that helps THEIR situation.
That's why these laws are laid out, for the sociopaths at the top of the world to feel even more secure than they are and also because these laws tend to agree with society as a whole. The majority of people probably would agree with the sentence handed down to Mousie and not think twice about the "Morality" behind it...because everything that is illegal is WRONG and BAD!!!
Sorry for the rant but that's my view to why the sentences are what they are and why it may seem outrageous to me and a lot of other people, however to a lot and probably a lot more other people it seems perfectly fine.
