Waiting for the Ax to Fall - on someone else

Hank writes his Notes from the Cube . . .

Yes, so the "honor" was given me "confidentially" and I was told that a co-worker is being let go today: "Please don't say anything." Great: I get the "honor" of a scrunched-up stomach and pity-filled heart and not even the power of decision-making. What am I supposed to feel for being given this knowledge beforehand? Complicity with the boss who's doing it? Thanks or relief that it isn't me? I didn't slack off for the past year: in a just world, I shouldn't have to worry. But I know that my boss is worried, so I'm guessing that the timing for letting the guy go was not based on a just-world decision. "Let go" tells it all: the guy should have been "fired" a while ago, but right now there just happens to be an across-the-boards mandate to "reduce costs" and he just happens to be the least visibly valuable. Again, in a just world there would be a replacement for him - because we really do need someone to do his job - but that's not happening. Crappy feeling, this waiting around for the ax to fall on someone else.