Politics & Emotion and How to gain from both (39)

18 Name: Albright!LC/IWhc3yc 04/12/29(Wed)02:21 ID:QUVTF0al [Del]

>Words cannot begin to describe how I despise the American sentiment of "liberals vs conservatives"

This is hardly a concept which is solely American. The question of the size and shape of the role a government should play in the life of its citizens predates the United States by centuries.

>Needs more single space after the "*".

Oh. Thanks.

>Are you denying this, then? Do you claim corporation[s] value the happiness of their employees above and beyond their profits?

Not necessarily; businesses exist to make money, not to make people happy (except to the extent that making money makes people happy). On the other hand, employees are integral to making a profit. In a free market, businesses have incentive to provide good conditions for their employees to the extent that happy, comfortable employees -- people who care about their job -- will make them more money than people who are unhappy, and couldn't care less whether the company sinks or swims. Say you're an experienced cook. Restaurant A offers a fifty-hour work week in a dingy kitchen for $2000 a month. Restaurant B offers a thirty-five hour week in a clean, modern kitchen for $2000 a month. Who do you want to work for? Your first choice will be Restaurant B, of course, and Restaurant A will have to hire one of the leftovers.

>And do you deny that corporations lobby governments to pass laws that benefit them?

Governments, yes; politicians, no. (Our government is not inherently evil. Some politicians are...) But if our government and/or politicians are so anti-worker, how come I can't make less than $6.75 an hour in California (over-the-table, anyway) and I am free to join a union (and hold a sickout during the busy holiday time... http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=365174 ) if I wish?

>Only if you take an incredibly narrow view of history would you come to that conclusion. You're reading an attack into Bush's government into this yourself. He is only the latest example of a long history of terrorist-baiting by left- and right-wing governments alike.

Well, it has only been recently when the word "terrorist" entered the everyday speech of America, both by government and otherwise. Would you care to provide examples of another case in history you and Citizen may be addressing?

>Will there finally come a time when a power relationship develops that will exist until the end of civilization?

Like capitalism? That's been around for millennia, though... :P

This thread has been closed. You cannot post in this thread any longer.