The Profit of Human Decency
The fundamental problem with the American economy is that corporations as a rule do not consider a decent standard of living for their employees to be a worthwhile expense.
They do not as a matter of policy take any role in improving the communities in which they operate when they could make a really big difference.
They do not recognize that their focus on the bottom line in the long run works against their interests.
They do not see the intrinsic value and humanity of bolstering the morale of their employees with decent pay, good benefits, and incentivizing profit shares.
They do not see the obscenity and recklessness of CEO salaries that are hundreds, even thousands!, of times higher than the average pay rate of their workers.
They do not see thriving lives of the individuals they employ as a damn fine accomplishment, an end in itself.
They reject the notion that the fundamental American value, the pursuit of happiness, and not the one-dimensional obsession of the pursuit of the mighty dollar, is what makes life worth living.
Working oneself to death at every level is rewarded. There is no time allotted to experiencing the wonders of life and the world, human creativity and beauty. No, the very idea is laughable.
No, actually, maybe the fundamental problem is that to raise these issues in polite Republican or Democratic company is considered almost fringe. It makes people uncomfortable, but yet it is so blatantly obvious if people just look at what's happened since the Reagan Revolution.
They do not as a matter of policy take any role in improving the communities in which they operate when they could make a really big difference.
They do not recognize that their focus on the bottom line in the long run works against their interests.
They do not see the intrinsic value and humanity of bolstering the morale of their employees with decent pay, good benefits, and incentivizing profit shares.
They do not see the obscenity and recklessness of CEO salaries that are hundreds, even thousands!, of times higher than the average pay rate of their workers.
They do not see thriving lives of the individuals they employ as a damn fine accomplishment, an end in itself.
They reject the notion that the fundamental American value, the pursuit of happiness, and not the one-dimensional obsession of the pursuit of the mighty dollar, is what makes life worth living.
Working oneself to death at every level is rewarded. There is no time allotted to experiencing the wonders of life and the world, human creativity and beauty. No, the very idea is laughable.
No, actually, maybe the fundamental problem is that to raise these issues in polite Republican or Democratic company is considered almost fringe. It makes people uncomfortable, but yet it is so blatantly obvious if people just look at what's happened since the Reagan Revolution.
Comments