Greed isn't Good

One of the many problems from the 80’s is, sadly, that people did not really understand that Gordon Gecko was living breathing reflection of that is wrong with corporate greed.  Greed is good became a lifestyle.  People actually started acting like that fictional character more and that it acceptable.  It sometimes astounds me how farce and ridicule can be taken seriously.  There are people who think Colbert’s buffoonery is reality and that he isn’t mocking the far right.  This saddens me.  It’s not that I think people are growing less intelligent or are gradually becoming numb to subtlety and nuance because that isn’t true.  Perhaps the best literary example of satire – A modest Proposal – was not immediately regarding as harsh criticism.  That’s even more depressing to think that someone could believe eating poor children to stave off starvation and create population control within Ireland was anything but jaded humor pointed directly at the cold hearts of the England elite who oppressed the country and also those who didn’t have power but stood around and let the monstrosity of Irish oppression continue.

This greed is good mentality very much exist today.  America as a country, above all else, worships wealth.  Those who have money are deemed better than those who don’t regardless of merit or any other versions of worth.  I know I am not above criticism in this regard.  While I do enjoy money I know it isn’t as important as quite a few other things.  Of course, there is exceptions.  Money isn’t important after a certain point but before that point its real goddamn important.  Where I’m at money is occasionally tight but I’m comfortable.  I have a house, a car – albeit one held together by duct tape and prayer – and enough left over to be able to pursue a decent amount of leisure activity without worrying.  Make things tighter and put me behind the eight ball then money isn’t so superfluous or less important than being happy.  Yeah, happiness is important but eating is more important than that.

I am close enough to various lifestyle that I can understand them.  I think however there are those who are so removed from normal society, either morally or simply socially, that they have little to no understanding of how most people live.  This brings me to the rage and backlash hitting CEO’s recently.  I am rather amused that these wealthy individuals think their stances and claims are backed up by anything other than greed.  Yes, a CEO has a responsibility to his or her company in keeping it profitable.  This does not, however, mean it is acceptable behavior to throw a bitch fit when government regulations are set in place to protect lower wage workers from economic tyranny.

Many years before I was born it was normal to get  a job at a company and work there until retirement.  You’d start at the mail room and work your way up over the course of forty years to a respectable position and retire on a nice pension.  It was understood that with patience, hard work, luck and at least some quantity of brain power anyone could achieve this.  Well, any man that is.  Women’s roles have changed considerably and there are more women in places of power but the balance has yet to shift.  We still need a bit more of racial equality among the top echelons of business structure but with boy’s club politics and who you know being as important or more than important than what you know it’ll take awhile before that is righted as well.  But those times are gone.  In the seventies companies started firing people before pension was up so they wouldn’t have to pay it all out.  With companies growing disregard for the well being of employees growing it soon became apparent to employees they had options and the best method for promotion was getting a new job not fighting upstream like a salmon avoiding the bears.  I’ve changed companies multiple time.  Within the past eight or so years I’ve worked at five different companies.  I’m reasonably happy where I am and I constantly fight to keep recognition and move up.  I know if I didn’t I’d be overlooked and ignored.  I’d rather not jump ship just to get a higher payroll.

With Obama winning the election several CEO’s have outed themselves as nothing more than giant gaping assholes.  Look at Papa John’s CEO or Applebees’, or Aetna’s or even Hostess.  After the election some of these drains on society had the nerve to say that the additional cost for helping employees should immediate be baked into the product price.  Yeah, fuck that.  Maybe I don’t know slash something else in the budget.  I didn’t hear this level of bitching during the oil price hikes which surely affect every business.  Gas price increases which affect food delivery trucks and everything within the food business.  Suddenly food order for local restaurant are more expensive.  This is a legitimate reason to increase price that shouldn’t be met with scorn.  Also no one bitched publicly about it.  But paying more money to provide for your employees?  They act like this is raping the constitution.  Hint, it’s not.  America was founded on several principles none of which were hey let’s fuck over the poor.  We rebelled because of taxation without representation, among other things.  Yet these entitled individuals think it acceptable to rage out when we remind them hey pay you’re goddamn people and provide a real service and not price gouge.

Here’s a few articles to look at if you don’t mind your blood pressure raising a few points (I had more links but I can’t find all of them):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/applebees-backlash_n_2118231.html?utm_hp_ref=small-business

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/15/1161877/-My-twitter-message-to-Aetna-s-CEO-or-suffering-can-be-a-2-way-street-Mr-Bertolini?detail=hide

http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Corporate-Greed/BCTGM-President-Frank-Hurt-Hostess-Demise-a-Decade-in-the-Making

It just upsets me that these privileged few either just don’t care about the vast majority of people, which essentially makes them evil, or that they are so insulated that they really don’t understand what it’s like to be anything but wealthy, which essentially makes them pathetic.  I’m unsure where I heard this quote but it sums up these corporate abominations rather well, “Born with a silver foot in their mouth.”  I may be butchering the quote but the premise is solid.  There are people out there who have no concept of struggling for money.  No understanding of being nervous about paying the bills, about seeing halfway through the month you need to stop spending already but you’re not sure how you’ll eat the rest of the month.  I just hope the dam has broken and this kind of behavior is punished.  Thre has been quite a bit of internet rage with companies, or specifically elite individuals associated with companies making disparaging remarks and then two camps forming.  Looks at what happened with Chik-Fila.  Good food for a fast food places but owned by absolute fanatics who are filled with hate and vitriol.  Yet there are a ton of people working there who would be affected by the boycott.  A company is not a reflection of just that one person up at the top.  It’s a group.  While I always applaud voting with your wallet and supporting good business it isn’t always the best decision.

So what can be done besides public outcry and boycotts.  Well, you can support politicians who actually stand up to bullshit.  I’m super excited that Elizabeth Warren won the election in Massachusetts  She looks to be Ralph Nader without all the smugness or douchebaggery.  Or you could instead of boycotting try to support businesses that don’t act like dickheads.  I bet if Aetna saw people flocking away in droves they’d do something about it.  With the exception of cable companies it’s reasonably effective to do this tactic.  These people would rather pay out the money just to keep customers.  It’s not such a firm believe they’d torpedo the company.  But seriously, fuck that Papa John’s guy.  He can kiss my ass.  I can get better pizza at a local place.

Ben