Onee of the great frauds perpetrated by the Republicans that we

[KlatooBNikto]

need to expose is that our Corporations are governed by highly efficient businessmen who single mindedly focus on profits and take big risks on technology and new product development.The reality is quite different.

First of all, American Corporate officers are the most risk averse creatures known to man.They always want a sure thing, no surprises;no bid contracts are more to their liking.If any small competitors arise, their instinct is simply to buy them out so they can keep their fat profit margins.And continue business as usual.

Secondly, even as their margins dwindle and the corporations drown in red ink, it never occurs to them to cut back their own salaries, stock options and bonuses so that the company can get through tough times without taking on additional debt.So, even if good times return, the additional debt service incurred by their profligate ways always results in reduced profits.The CEOs then blame the workers and threaten to take the company to India or China or wherever they can fleece the workers so they can continue their mad ways.

In many ways this is exactly the way Bush has been running our country to the ground.Of course, he is an experienced hand at this game.He has fleeced his own stockholders in Arbusto and Harken.Now he has taken his shell game to the whole country. The tax cuts he has put in place for the rich is simply because those greedy men are unable to run the corporations properly so this undeserving President hands out tax cuts so they can continue to reap the rewards of their inefficient and destructive ways while blaming their workers.

[glitch]

1. Very good points - well said. Welcome to DU! nt

[Vincardog]

2. Exactly why we need a political party on the workers (peoples) side

Both political parties are sucking on the corporate teat. If the Democrats do not start to immediately care and work for people. We have to form a new party to fight the Corporate Fascism sweeping the world. The future is bleak without a radical change in direction.

[StClone]

3. Corp vs Gov

The main game is to say private--GOOD, Gov.--BAD. The Conservatives have worked a to make that case.

Companies that have a few highly compensated low-taxed officers are good as opposed to having infrastructure and services for the Public. Their claim is that Gov is always wasteful and Corps are very efficient.

[KlatooBNikto]

4. The enormously wasteful operations of many corporations are

well known to people who work for them.But the corporate culture is such that you cannot say it lest you get shown the door.

[ComerPerro]

5. Well, they do single-mindedly focus on profits

But, very good points.

CEOs of failing companies still make millions of dollars. Why?

They take risks, all right. They take massive risks.

The only problem is, they gamble with other people's lives and futures, not their own.

[Batgirl]

6. Trouble is they buy into their own b.s.

Mainly, the highly self-flattering idea that these corporate types are innovative powerhouses who, by serving their own rational self interest create wealth for everyone.

Except anyone who's actually spent time working in corporate environments would probably find it easier to believe in the Easter Bunny.

Just like in most human endeavors, people in the business world don't like change, challenges, or real competition and will try to game the system to avoid these things. Irrationality and short-sightedness abound. People are rewarded according to their excellence at evading/shifting blame when something goes wrong and taking credit when things go right. Rising through the ranks has little to do with innate ability or productivity or helping little old ladies cross the street.

From what I've seen, if you are willing to lie and cheat with the single minded intent of gaining and keeping power, you could very well end up living in the McMansion of your dreams.

Everyone else, including those who plod along thinking that hard work plus integrity equals success, are too often rewarded with a patronizing smile and a pat on the head.

[Batgirl]

7. I guess that's why

during the last presidential campaign I was less than impressed with the idea that the Bushies were going to run the country like a corporation. Too bad that's one promise they kept.

[ComerPerro]

8. Yeah, I agree. I am sick of that line of reasoning

What I hate hearing the most is bullshit such as "You should be thankful for these people, because they are the ones that are hiring Americans."

True, they are hiring people. But, I don't care.

Honestly, does anyone believe that CEOs would even pay minimum wage if they didn't have to? If they didn't get pressured into paying decent salaries.

A lot of them would hire children for pennies a day if they could just get away with it.

I don't feel "thankful" for someone hiring me. Its not as though they are hiring people just out of the goodness of their heart.

If they were, they wouldn't thoughtlessly lay of thousands of people at a time just to make their stock go up half a point.

[KlatooBNikto]

9. While most of our business "journalists" are singing the praises of these

corporate b.s. artists, quietly many Japanese, Chinese, German and Indian corporate CEOs are showing what it takes to be a real CEO instead of the egomomaniacal nitwits who are busy running our businesses to the ground.A man like Soichiro Honda earned less than 1/10th of some of the bigwigs at GM, Ford and Chrysler and built up one of the most admired corporations on earth.So did Toyota's CEO.and so did BMW's CEO.Their belief is grounded on the fact that a corporation like a baby needs to be nurtured over a long period of time carefully with dedication, pride and continuous improvement.Our quick buck artists have no time for these old fashioned values, just like the Republicans who spout Family values and are the biggest violators of such values.

In many ways, the deterioration of our political and economic situation can be laid at the doors of this corporate mentality which, when it sees a problem, runs away from it instead of seeing it as an opportunity to assemble their people and get them to solve the problems.

So, no matter what happens in our economy, our long term decline is assured so long as this mentality persists.

[Batgirl]

10. True

"In many ways, the deterioration of our political and economic situation can be laid at the doors of this corporate mentality which, when it sees a problem, runs away from it instead of seeing it as an opportunity to assemble their people and get them to solve the problems."

And I would add there's another aspect to this mentality: It's not necessary to fix problems, only to repackage them and sell them as success stories. Like they're trying to do right now with Iraq. A synthetic reality that's marketed it to the public just as though it's a toothpaste that will make your teeth blindingly white goddamit!