To Resign or To Be Fired?

One additional inequality (and there are too many to name here) in our society is the manner in which workers from different social strata are terminated. A worker of the lower order is "fired"--that is, he is given a directive to leave, clean out his cubicle, his locker, etc. A worker of the higher order, like an executive, tenders his "resignation" and apparently leaves of his own free will. The difference is not minor. For in the first case, the worker is symbolically castrated by effectively eliminating his subjectivity, his will. He is told to leave like a child and shown the door. In the second case, the worker (i.e., the executive) is encouraged to leave and in leaving retains his subjectivity, his will. It is, after all, his choice to "resign". He retains his penis, his power, even after being forced out. The appearance of propriety is here maintained as though it was all just a misunderstanding amongst gentlemen at a social club. The honor of men is here maintained whereas in the former case the worker is shamed and outcast, like a criminal or a juvenile.

(Note: 6/24/06 a story in the NY Times "The Winding Road to Grasso's Huge Payday", the following quote:

"At a Sept. 17 meeting, the Big Board's directors voted 13 to 7 in favor of Mr. Grasso's resignation. Mr. McCall then said, "Dick, we accept your resignation."
Mr. Grasso responded: "Are you asking for my resignation?"
Taken aback, according to Mr. Langone's description of the meeting, Mr. McCall struggled for the right words, before saying yes.
"Then I resign," Mr. Grasso respond- ed. ")--Feng

NB: 10/20/06: Grasso forced to pay back 100 million of the 250 million:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/business/20nyse.html?hp&ex=1161403200&en=a6f93d391af0c6f5&ei=5094&partner=homepage


Just something I noticed in the climate of resignations of Goss, Brown, etc. Fair? No, of course not. But then again ours is neither a fair nor a just society, after all.