Robber
Barons in the New Gilded Age "When the capitalists are all to be hanged, they will vie among themselves for the contract for the rope." That old quote doesnt paint a flattering picture of capitalism, but neither does this one: "Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone." -- Keynes Or this one, from a President you know: "Money, and not morality, is the principle of commerce and commercial nations." -- Jefferson Money? Not morality? Exactly. The terms "good" and "bad" dont apply to an economic system. Capitalism (like democracy) is sometimes called "the worst system, except for all the others." So, like most Americans, Im a fan of capitalism and I wouldnt advocate abandoning it. However, I warn you, this is the New Gilded Age -- the era of rapacious, excessive, corrosive capitalism. Unless we recognize that, and take action, the oft-vaunted free market will become a marketplace without choices, and your workplace (if you still have a job) will remain a bastion of corporate fascism. What troubles me most is that corporations lie a lot. When a corporation is about to mar your life to satisfy its epic greed, it uses "feel-good" TV commercials or news sound bites to put a good spin on the story -- whether its laying off 40,000 workers or recalling 25,000,000 pounds of ground beef. Fortunately, you and I can read between the lines. Here are some recent offerings:
And what do you get out of this? Oddly enough, you frequently pay more, not less, for goods and services. However, a company making an extra dollar might pass a five-cent dividend to your retirement plan after giving the CEO a big bonus and paying off politicians. Not a pretty picture, but what can we do about it? A lot. Capitalism is an inherently brutal system, so big corporations will understand when you respond with brutal tactics. Use the marketplace to reward companies you like and ruin those you dont. To have some great fun reshaping America, follow these simple rules:
Mark Twain said, "What is the chief end of man? -- to get rich. In what way? -- dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must." Theres been too much dishonesty. Lets try honesty for a while. Barry Schoenborn is a technical writer, and a ten-year resident of Nevada County. You can write to him at barry@wvswrite.com. The opinions of columnists are not necessarily those of The Union. |