In any economic crunch, people want someone to blame. For years, business has been a great scapegoat. From Hollywood films and novels, to real life, the faceless corporate monolith is always a great choice for a villain. In many cases, such as with Enron and Worldcom, it’s much easier to make that leap and easily a justified one at that. In most cases though, not so much.
Corporations, and their desire for profit, are often maligned as being evil because their purpose isn’t for any “greater good”, only to make money. In our predominantly altruistic society, this makes it impossible for folks to look at them as anything but money-grubbing Snidely Whiplashes looking to tie humanity to the railroad tracks for their own purposes. Of course, no one will deny that corporations exist to make a profit, and that the betterment of mankind is not their number one priority in most cases. Those that do make it one are called non-profits.
However, there’s another flip side to business that must be acknowledged. While they may not have betterment of mankind as their priority, it is a result of what they do. Remember, they make products with the intent to sell them. To do this, they must hire people who will not only make their stuff, but ultimately buy some of that same stuff. With all these companies making stuff with the intent to sell and the hope of profit, they create an economic boom as they hire people to make the stuff…and ultimately buy some of that stuff too.
Yes, the profit motive is what they are all about. But that isn’t a bad thing. Profit has been the reason for every economic and technology boom in American history. Profit is the reason why people started selling radios and television, as well as radio and television stations. Profit is the reason for VCRs and DVDs. Profit is the reason for the mass produced automobiles and fast food. It’s the reason why our nation has stood out for the last 200 years…because we could be profitable.
Not everyone will agree, obviously, but business is essential for these booms to occur. As such, business itself isn’t the bad guy. Instead, focus on those who actually do dishonest things, like the Enron’s and Worldcoms of the world, and those who go to Congress begging for our tax dollars because they can’t manage their own income worth a flip, like GM and AIG.
Business isn’t the bad guy, and it’s past time folks start to realize that and not lump them all together.
As we say in the country, tell the truth and shame the devil because it all boils down to Darwinism. Somebody has got to lose for you to win and affordable products at Wal-mart should be the result of children working like slaves in the developing world. When the Iran hostage situation jumped off in the late 70s many Americans did not that our oil corporations and federal government made arrangements with the Shah to exploit his nation…presidents who were Rs and Ds greenlit these plans. The people of the MiddleEast had a right to be ticked off but should have directed their anger toward the greedy leaders rather than the average American. I went to Capitol Hill during the first Gulf War and President H. W. Bush was a real dude because he directly stated that our interest in the region was our dependence on foreign oil.
Call me naïve but I am just realizing that the Detroit automakers made a conscious decision back in the day to make cars that would need replacing in a few years while Europe and Japan was continue to strive toward producing long-lasting cars. (I have had five old Volvos). Then Detroit uses Madison Avenue to get into the heads of weak-minded people the idea that they are not sexy if they are not driving a fiberglass shine deathtrap.
Back to your original point, it is about profit but let’s be fair. If banks, companies and industries, begged for “regulatory reform” and “paperwork reduction” to get the government out of their business (as a matter of fact, run the government like a business) then they should not turn to the government when the bubble bursts….remember, you wanted less government. Oh I forgot, some operations are too big to fail.
.-= Slyram´s last blog ..Come On People: the Cosby Book =-.
Hey, I think they shouldn’t have gotten anything either. But most businesses in this country aren’t getting a bail out, and they shouldn’t. But no, banks shouldn’t have asked for more freedom on one hand, but then refuse to accept the responsibility that comes with that freedom. Freedom requires responsibility, otherwise it doesn’t work. Financial institutions didn’t accept the risk for their actions and should have been left to suffer.
But the perception of business as evil on general principle bothers me. Judge each business based on it’s own actions and nothing else.