Jack Burns Lives!

Inside Capitalism

So I’m sitting in a restaurant having lunch and cannot help but overhear a conversation taking place right next to me. Two guys, both probably in their mid-forties, talking business. Or, “b’ness” as we say in the South.

“This is how it went down. The bigwigs on the board decided to cut some overhead, so they whacked a bunch of folks. Dad’s on the board and said it was just some fat, and it would really help the dividend next time around. You should see a nice check by April.”

I realize a lot of people really believe economics is a science and enjoy discussing all sorts of sophisticated economic theories. Me, I call them masturbatory exercises in non-science. Double-talk. I mean, just ask someone to explain derivatives and what you’ll end up with is so much gobbledygook you’ll feel as if your head is going to explode. Ask an economist to give you a straight answer, with proof, that stimulus works or doesn’t work in recession and see where that gets you. It’s basically all a bunch of crap designed to provide window dressing to a system that really doesn’t work as well as we were all told back in the early days of our indoctrination.

So forget all that and listen to me. I’m just a dumb old redneck, but I think I have this one figured out: Here are the important points you should take from the conversation I overheard:

In capitalism, there are “bigwigs” or people that rule in hierarchical organizations. They rule via power and the power is gained through equity or ownership. In fact, everything in this country revolves around private property and the Constitution was set up to protect private property. It’s what those French folks call a raison d’être. Meaning, our reason for existence.

Everyone else, that means you and I (us potato peeling serfs), are the “overhead” or the “fat” that can be “whacked.” And when the bigwigs whack folks, you improve earnings, profits and dividends to the stockholders.

You’re not a human being to these types. You’re overhead. Little more than a SSN that digs into the profits the fat cats hope to pocket. My question is why do we continue to put up with this shit? Just look at what’s happening on Wall Street and with healthcare reform. Why is there no popular rebellion in this country?

Am I a pinko-commie-socialist? No, just a guy that calls it as he sees it. We can do better. We can give employees ownership, equity and a vote. We can implement a steady state economy that doesn’t rape the biosphere. We can be fair, do what’s right and all live better, less stressful lives.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Comment from pennswoodsed - December 18, 2009 at 12:30 am

How about it ? And no one will listen when I say very much the same thing.
Are we crazy ? Hope not.
Ed