Greed

[Torchwood]

[Tinker]

Being as a greater and greater proportion of people are losing trust that capitalism will work for them, the trust basis is breaking down.

Those benefitted most by the social contract argue vociferously that they don't have a responsibility to abide by it. If they do not respect the rights of people to a living wage why should we respect their right to property?

[Demon of Undoing]

Since when do we have a right to a living wage? If I can only afford to pay $.15/hr for a piece of work because that's all it's worth to my business, no amount of wishing is going to make a $20/hr w/ benefits job out of it. The money simply isn't there.

If nobody will do the job at that price and I have to offer more, then my costs just went up and I can make that money happen. But fiat won't feed the bulldog.

[Tinker]

[Ibrahim]

[Demon of Undoing]

No, you don't get it. I can tell none of you people have had to make payroll before.

If I can only pay $.15 an hour because that's all the work is worth, then that's the only rate I can pay you, period. Anything more I give is going to be charity. I certainly won't be able to charge more for the total piece just because I'm a nice guy. Go to a welding supply shop and try to pick up boilerplate with the nice guy discount.

If you lot are going to throw me in the same pot with Lloyd Blankfein, you need to visualize the difference between running a cutting torch and a MIG welder in a glorified pole barn at 95F versus lighting $50 cigars with flaming $100 bills. Guess which one I ain't.

Starting to sound like you want to be altruistic with my money. If I have to pay more than I make, why the hell would I want to be a business owner? This may perhaps explain why some sectors prefer government jobs. No risk, no accountability, no reality required.

[Ibrahim]

[Demon of Undoing]

Somehow I am not so comfortable with theives drawing the line( definition of theft: taking something that is not yours) as to who gets Blankfeinded.

So I can expect the rowdy mob to have clearly delineated income scores as to who gets necklaced? Because I absolutely do have people who assume any business they work for is the money tree. This is why business insurance and workmans comp is as high as it is. People wouldn't try to turn an allegedly- sprained epididymis into a suit worth ten million on the guy next door. But a business of any kind? Naw, shit, they got like equipment and a building. They must poop money in bank bundles; charge up yer lawyer lazers.

I'm all for people not having so much influence that they thwart popular will as expressed in the rule of law. But are we sure that's what we are talking about here?

[Mr. Perfect]

Liberals can be real dumb@$$es.

[Mr. Perfect]

[Tinker]

[Tinker]

[Demon of Undoing]

[Tinker]

[Ibrahim]

[Ibrahim]

[Demon of Undoing]

[Hoosiernorm]

I'm still trying to figure out which political/property arrangement would give anyone anything more than the current one would. No matter which system we had there would still be folks who have more and people who would have less.

[Ibrahim]

[Ibrahim]

[Hoosiernorm]

[Ibrahim]

[Hoosiernorm]

[Demon of Undoing]

If it happened to me, I'd look to myself for the fault first and foremost. If some punk in a boardroom on Wall Street could screw up and crush me that easily, then I was too much his bitch to begin with. The fault is mine. I don't control other people and I don't get a say in what they do. I only choose my response.

On an earlier, previous note, I am looking for a quote by a ( I think) former head of the CPSU said before Perestroika. I remember at the time that we were wondering if it was all a maskirova, and indeed this guy said that world communism would seemingly fade for a time, but the inevitable circumstances of capitalism would bring it back. This was said by a man with true faith in the historical dialectic. It is also the reason Mr P and company have never ceased vigilance against any similarity between the inevitable liberalism of the youth and the urban, and the rhetoric/ methods of the communists.

I think that the CPSU guy and Mr P might be right.

[Torchwood]