"The Brutal Truth about Penn State"

To NPR listeners, Charles R. Pierce is known for his quick wit as a panelist on "Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!" Today, he penned a scathing indictment of Penn State and institutions that have become "soulless, profit-driven monsters."

And today, our major institutions lie because of a culture in which loyalty to "the company," and protection of "the brand" — that noxious business-school shibboleth that turns employees into brainlocked elements of sales and marketing campaigns — trumps conventional morality, traditional ethics, civil liberties, and even adherence to the rule of law. It is better to protect "the brand" than it is to protect free speech, the right to privacy, or even to protect children.