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GREED: excessive or reprehensible acquisitiveness. CAPITALISM: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods by investments that are determined by private decision rather than state control, and by prices, production and distribution of goods determined by competition in a free market. SOCIALISM: collective or government ownership and administration of production and distribution of goods. According to Marx a transition to Communism where a totalitarian state directed by an elite proletariat controls decision-making, production and distribution. We hear a lot these days—especially from the media and certain politicians—about greedy corporations and the gosh-awful people who operate them. What bugs me are the holier-than-thou critics’ overt, sweeping generalities; generalities that DARE not be used in stereotyping other population segments in this deteriorating, dumbed-down society. Money is an American obsession, and as such human nature dictates there will be rapacious abusers. In a profit driven system weasels will exploit any situation especially if there is little or no oversight. Government, unions, banks, and corporations are equally guilty. That’s reality. Ray Richards, a retired researcher from a major corporation, put it this way, “Meanwhile, the ‘haves’ like top corporate executives have salaries measured in the millions. For what? Conniving with their buddies by buying elections…buying legislators…corporate offices in the Caymans? I don’t believe that they are that much smarter than the rest of us, but they have had selective training in manipulating the corporate structure and the national politics to their advantage. I don’t think that entitles them to the millions they are getting.” So let’s stick with corporations. There are only two laws of Free Enterprise to wit: 1) there is no such thing as something-for-nothing; and 2) supply-and-demand is the engine that drives the system. Of course the kind of reprehensible behavior perpetrated by the executives of Enron, and their ilk deserves some kind of comeuppance and punishment. I won’t go as far as to say they deserve Islamic Shariah Law penalties, but certainly something more severe than atomic melvins, noogies, and titty twisters. BUT also guilty is the segment of society that depends solely on handouts because they believe (and have been taught) they deserve something-for-nothing. They advocate some kind of socialist paradise. In my book, that’s also reprehensible. Here’s how to identify that lot: Bitch No. 1: We deserve higher pay, and better jobs! My answer: You deserve what the market will bear. Bitch No. 2: We deserve free health care! My answer: You deserve the rights guaranteed by the Constitution; that and nothing more. Bitch No. 3: The greedy corporations are moving offshore! They’re taking our jobs! My answer: They are not your jobs; they belong to the corporations. If we don’t like behavior of a given corporation, as customers we can always vote with our feet; that is, walk away. Hmmm, wait a minute…maybe the media is including companies that have a virtual monopoly of necessities...say like in the case of pharmaceuticals, health care, and gasoline… Now I know each of these industries consists of competing rivals; but that said there is obvious manipulation of supply and price in those industries (that the Justice Department ignores); for instance, gasoline prices at the pump going up-and-down simultaneously from every distributor. (It’s a freaking miracle!) DeBeers has been manipulating supply and price for decades, but diamonds are hardly a necessity; and DeBeers is immune from US law anyway. So if that is what the hew-and-cry is about I agree. But think for a minute: Who is to blame for that situation more than the federal government? They don’t have to accept endless favors from powerful lobbies to bulk up their PACs, do they? Why do they take “bribes”; get bought-off? Why don’t THEY just walk away? Where is integrity? To Ray Richards point, why doesn’t the government change the rules to stop the shenanigans? Who is the REAL cause of the problem here? I mean, we are justifiably frustrated by what is legally (wink) allowed to continue, but that doesn’t stop executives (legally) using the system. The point is that corporations and government are complicit, winking at each other with fingers crossed behind their backs. What’s a bigger money grab than Obamacare? What a blatant, in-your-face license to steal—from companies and individuals! Think I’m wrong about the “individual” part of that statement? Just wait; you’ll see… Talk about unabashed greed, what about the outrageous salaries and (especially) benefits / perks of our elected officials? And where is the bitching-and-griping about the huge contracts of professional sports figures and those in the entertainment industry? NOTE: My office used to be adjacent to that of a baseball agent. He said no matter how big the contract, athletes still think of themselves as poor and exploited. Beyonce spends $80 per nail and the pop culture dumb asses think that’s okay. I don’t get it. Where is Hillary Clinton saying, “I want to take all those profits and give them to…” in those cases? But I’m not trying to whack Beyonce and highly paid entertainers and athletes. See I believe in natural law; that is, 1) one should be able to do anything he/she wants as long as it doesn’t cause harm to another, and 2) one is entitled to every honest penny one earns, and nobody else can dictate what one does with those pennies. So if some ditsy actress wants to pay $4,000 for a small handbag and pro athletes want to buy mansions and a dozen cars I don’t care. (No matter how selfish and tasteless.) That’s the system, and I like our capitalistic system! Those who achieve will succeed, and good for them. I’m not a big tax guy, but I’m in favor of taxes to keep us safe and provide infrastructure. Hell, I don’t even mind taxes to assist the helpless; it’s the massive giveaway programs to the clueless and lazy in exchange for votes that irks me. The media and government clowns only seem to have a problem with money made by corporations, and not only those legal abusers I named above—ALL corporations! And our non-information voters who do not think for themselves, and are driven by pop culture, fall in line as willing sycophants. They’re just as greedy as the government, always looking for handouts they didn’t earn because (whine, sob) it isn’t fair! They’ve grown up to believe they deserve a trophy for participation. I saw the genesis of this attitude long ago when my daughter attended high school in Huntington Beach, CA. The kids had an attitude of “too cool for school”, and it became a virtue to underachieve. Those who dared to excel in their studies were shunned as dweebs and schmeds. (Their words not mine.) Think I’m exaggerating? I just saw a YouTube clip featuring a woman with 15 kids from eight different fathers who is royally pissed-off because the government isn’t paying enough for her lodging, food, smokes, and booze. She doesn’t work. Incredibly she goes on a loud rant insisting, “Someone’s got to be responsible! Someone’s got to pay!” Madness! All this picking on businessmen has me a bit perplexed since it’s they who drive the economy—not pop culture and sports figures. I’m mainly sympathetic to small businessmen since their companies are the bulk of the financial system, but they are crapped on constantly with larger and larger loads of government fecal matter. The big guys have deep enough pockets to make wink-wink deals with the government. Not so the little guys. They’re the entrepreneurs who invest their own savings, retirement plans and pension funds; and hock their homes to live the American dream by owning their own businesses; and by the way, they provide jobs and tax revenues. Sadly, most fail. Most lose it all. I was trained by (among others) W. Edwards Deming, who resurrected the Japanese economy after WWII. Deming taught that the societal responsibility of business leaders is to create jobs and more jobs; to be altruistic. Further, he taught that those who had near-monopolies had the greatest responsibility of all. Although many businesses follow Deming’s advice, unfortunately, many publicly-traded American companies do not because of the accounting-driven, short-term thinking of Wall Street. Investors want results now, and the hell with what happens in the future! More annoying is by the time things go south the major stockholders will sell, and the upper managers will bail with golden parachutes. That business model built upon end-of-the-month results is another symptom of what loses jobs and kills the economy. Well, Obama and his brain trust finally got the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare into law that will be another millstone around the necks of small businessmen. “Affordable”, my ass! Notice all his crony supporters and government buddies are EXEMPT from Obamacare. With that in mind, step right up; tell you what I’m going to do… I’ve always been an advocate of Deming’s philosophy; that is, to create jobs and more jobs! At one technology-driven industry I established a gain-sharing plan for all employees, and tripled the number of jobs. I was an executive in another company that was 100% ESOP—everyone was an employee-owner—and we worked hard to open more factories and employ more people. Further we took 10-percent of the profits and divided it equally among all employees. Executives didn’t get any more than the newest clerk or laborer. Greedy??? Sadly, no more. I’ve had enough—finally enough. Stick a fork in me, Melvin, I’m done! With Obamacare and countless other business-unfriendly policies by our “progressive” (new word for socialist) regime, the next business we open will be a lights-out factory. We will automate as much as possible, which goes against my model for enterprise. But I simply cannot tolerate any more government in my underwear, and I believe it’s immoral to perpetuate the sham or play the willing victim. Guess how many other ethical businessmen are of the same mind set? I can guarantee what the reaction will be from the regime’s puppets: we will be considered avaricious and the media will pile on. Not since Stalin has there been such government control of the media—behold the new Tass and Pravda. Here’s how I will answer the blackguards: 1. I know you are, but what am I? 2. Up your nose with a rubber hose! 3. Aw, gee, that’s too bad… 4. Pull my finger. 5. Eat my shorts! 6. Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah… By Gene Myers, a dedicated, if somewhat deranged, revolutionary.
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greed, capitalism, socialism, free enterprise, Enron, Deming, Obamacare,
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