Isn't the "Melting Pot" a good thing?

[dimreepr]

Yes, there is no, or very little, company culture anymore where people invested themselves and companies in inested in them for a long term relationship. Analogously, Instead of a looking to get married, employers and employees are treating each other like punters and hookers; exploitatively and transiently.

 

 

This happens when the vultures/accountants move into business, much like when they move into politics.

[StringJunky]

 

 

This happens when the vultures/accountants move into business, much like when they move into politics.

Those as well.

Edited July 28, 2016 by StringJunky

[dimreepr]

Those as well.

 

 

They often start it...

 

 

Read "The grapes of wrath - John Steinbeck"

Edited July 28, 2016 by dimreepr

[StringJunky]

 

 

They often start it...

 

 

Read "The grapes of wrath - John Steinbeck"

I do believe that was compulsory reading in my English class but I can't remember it.

[dimreepr]

Let me enlighten you; the accountants moved in and everything turned to shit.

Edited July 28, 2016 by dimreepr

[StringJunky]

Let me enlighten you; the accountants moved in and everything turned to shit.

Right. I suppose it's a case of trying to fit people to formulas instead of fitting formulas to people.

[dimreepr]

Not exactly, Think more of formulas that need context...

[waitforufo]

I guess you never worked for this guy- or any of the many like him.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3709379/The-unacceptable-body-capitalism-Shirtless-Sir-Shifty-catches-sun-relaxes-100million-superyacht-despite-MPs-damning-report-BHS-collapse.html

 

Well,lucky you.

But to pretend that these people don't exist is unhelpful.

Let me make a recommendation to you. The next time you see a successful person say to yourself "good for them", and try to actually mean it. You will find that you are a happier and more successful person.

 

 

The corporations you mention exist. I don't pretend they don't.

 

So do the ones I mentioned. Why do you pretend they don't?

The corporations I mention, you never mention, so how could I ever know that you understand that they exist?

 

I have worked for corporations during economic downturns and I have worked for one company that went bankrupt. Tough times. I saw a lot of people get laid off. I was laid of myself once. But if those companies didn't down size all of them would have went bankrupt and everyone would have been without a job. Also, we now live in a world of free trade and intense international competition. People generally purchase products and services based on two considerations; quality and price. They determine quality they want, and then they try to find that quality at the lowest price. If they can't afford that lowest price they reduce their quality needs and try again. That environment is driven by consumers. Every purchase is a vote to determine what corporations succeed and which fail. Corporations simply respond to their competitive environment. By the way that is greatly influenced by government regulation. Regulations make it more expensive to do business, competition determines price, salaries and benefits diminish. Simple cause and effect.

 

I don't agree with what you said. However you don't make a terrible point. I was recently listening to Laurene Powell Jobs discussing an education program she donates her time and resources to and something she said struck me. When asked about how philanthropy could transform education across the country she quipped that it wasn't philanthropy job to do so. That we have a Gov't and that gov't has a Department of Education. People merely need to pay attention and participate in their Gov't to see to it they get the changes that are needed. Philanthropy can shine a light ky things but not replace the real work of Gov't.

 

She was right in my opinion. While I wish my corperations operated in a manner that was more beneficial to society at large I understand it is not their purpose to do so. While the Gov't in the U.S. does allow far too much corperate lobbying the system isn't broken beyond the point of no return. If people chose to care, chose to vote in the right people as their representatives at the local, state, and federal level that would actually govern and believed it was their role to do so we could right the ship. Unfortunately we have fallen into a apathetic death spiral where on one side we elect people to Gov't specific to destory Gov't and on the other side elect people to office specifically to protect it. No one seems to actually be managing it or progressing it forward.

You should google "the nine scariest words in the English language."

 

My girlfriend just left a company where everyone in her department was an "outside contractor" thus making them ineligible for overtime or benefits despite the fact that they all had to come into the office, work 40 hours a week and had all materials and equipment related to doing their job provided by the company. One guy was even expected to work weekends.

 

I can pretty much guarantee they all could have successfully sued the company because that's entirely illegal, but they all needed the job and who wants to hire someone that sued their last employer?

Well you hit the nail on the head. The "outside contractor" shift in employment is driven by government regulation which has become to burdensome. Companies can avoid that regulation by hiring outside contractors. Cause and effect. Also competition plays a role. Your competition moves to outside contractors, you will also, or go out of business. Well I guess you could transfer all your work to India and China.

 

I think the commercial wold was a better place when individuals or families owned tthe large companies and not legions of faceless investors who create uncertainty and the need for ever-increasing profits by the companies they invest in to keep them investing in them; it has become so very short-teminist.and too volatile. This is so very evident in the pharmaceutical world.where they can see billions of dollars moved away overnight and thousands lose their jobs in a very short space of time.

So you have a problem with the people owning the means to production?

 

Now how about talking about the melting pot.

 

If conformity and lack of diversity is so bad, how do you explain the economic success of countries like Japan and Korea?

 

By the way I never looked at the melting pot as trying to wash away diversity. There have always been plenty of social clubs and varied religions that celebrate unique cultures in the United States. I have often enjoyed the celebrations and festivals these entities provide to the public. Haven't you? I also enjoy the unique food they have added to the american table. Same goes for music. Yet, Americans have formed a unique culture enjoyed by almost us all. Sure, new immigrants suffer the crucible in the beginning, but all have been accepted with the exception of blacks. None have tried harder to be integrated than blacks. We have actually made great strides of late. Just watch television programs and advertisements. Just watch sporing events. The problem we have today is that blacks are now simply political pawns kept in place to guarantee votes. Blacks should fear those nine scariest words more than anyone.

[Delta1212]

The corporations I mention, you never mention, so how could I ever know that you understand that they exist?

 

 

In a similar vein, I rarely drive down the street and comment on all the houses that aren't on fire.

 

Regardless, your contention that the trend of outside contracting is true on the surface level, but the deeper problem is not that employees are being labeled outside contractors, it is that they are not being offered the benefits of healthcare and overtime pay. I do not think that it is the regulations mandating that companies provide overtime pay and healthcare that are driving employers to find ways to circumvent the rules and avoid offering them.

 

Or, to put it another way, I don't think that employers would start offering overtime pay and health benefits if the laws requiring them were removed. They might hire people on instead of employing them as contractors, but they would be employees in essentially the same position they are as contractors.

[John Cuthber]

Let me make a recommendation to you. The next time you see a successful person say to yourself "good for them", and try to actually mean it. You will find that you are a happier and more successful person.

 

If you judge someone who took vast sums of money from a company, and left it bankrupt- unable to pay it's current staff and the pensions of its former staff -as "successful" then our views clearly differ on that point.

Tell me; would you judge someone who makes a good living by stealing cash from little old ladies in the street as "successful"?

If not; what's the difference- morally rather than legally?

[waitforufo]

If you judge someone who took vast sums of money from a company, and left it bankrupt- unable to pay it's current staff and the pensions of its former staff -as "successful" then our views clearly differ on that point.

Tell me; would you judge someone who makes a good living by stealing cash from little old ladies in the street as "successful"?

If not; what's the difference- morally rather than legally?

If he broke the law he should be punished. What law did he break?

[dimreepr]

If he broke the law he should be punished. What law did he break?

 

 

"If the law supposes that," said Mr. Bumble, squeezing his hat emphatically in both hands, "the law is a ass—a idiot." - Charles Dickens