What's the point of Bernie Madoff's 150-year prison sentence?  

Why did Bernie Madoff get 150 years in prison? Short answer -- he's a sleaze. Real answer -- lots of reasons.
The Ponzi Scheme operator's conviction yesterday produced the sort of unrestrained glee that was entirely to be expected. Madoff, who is certifiably old, obviously won't see the light of day following a 150-year prison term.
Lee Sorkin, Madoff's attorney, called the sentence "absurd" this morning during an interview with Matt Lauer on "Today": "The justice system is not built on vengeance. It's not built on symbolism."
He continued: "This fraud was collapsing for a number of years before he confessed. He could have very easily gotten on an airplane, wired his money out of the United States. He did not choose to do that."
Nice guy, that Madoff. Here's video of the interview:

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So since he won't live another 150 years, is the huge sentence indeed "absurd"? The Associated Press paraphrased the judge as saying "he needed to send a message to potential imitators and to victims who demanded harsh punishment."
That may ring slightly of frontier justice, but Slate, referencing a different case, explained astronomical sentences thusly:
"First, in a case with multiple victims, each family might find solace in knowing the criminal received a specific punishment for each crime. Second, the prosecutor might want multiple sentences on the books in case some were overturned on appeal. Third, the court could use back-to-back sentences to emphasize the crime's severity to the governor or the board of pardons."
So what do you think of the sentence? Empty symbolism? Just right? Not long enough?