We Americans have endured a lot of bad news the past few years. Times are tough, yes, but our country’s economic situation is compounded by a feeling that people are getting things they don’t deserve.

Gas company CEOs turn record profits while telling us nothing can be done about the price of their product. Bankers get bailed out for engaging in bad business practices. And hard working Americans? Well, there’s no bailout for them. Only layoffs and an increased cost of living.

But when the bad news seems almost overwhelming, we are reminded that, sometimes, this world we live in still provides a little bit of justice.

On Feb. 13, the Virginia-based Peanut Corporation of America filed for bankruptcy. While this will surely result in more job losses, it’s still good to see the company fold if only because of the deplorable actions of its CEO, Stewart Parnell.

The company’s salmonella-tainted products made about 600 people sick and may have killed nine people. According to internal e-mails released at a House subcommittee hearing, Parnell complained that tests on the contaminated items were “costing us huge $$$$$” and eventually instructed his workers to “turn them loose.”

Given a chance to come clean and apologize at the hearing, Parnell refused to answer questions and left before devastated families testified.

Here’s hoping he spends some time in a cell and never finds another job. Speaking of which, another sleazy operation might be out of a job, too.

In January, Iraqi officials said they would not give Blackwater Worldwide a license to operate in the country, according to The Associated Press, and the State Department responded by declaring it would not renew a contract that comprises a third of the company’s annual revenue.

“It would hurt us,” company CEO Erik Prince said before the decision was announced.

Blackwater mercenaries were hired to provide security for American officials in Iraq and were involved in an incident that left at least a dozen Iraqi civilians dead.

There’s something disheartening about our country’s reputation being damaged by men that aren’t our soldiers, and maybe we’ve seen the last of it.

Sometimes, people do get what they deserve.