Lucas; I don't disagree with your lesson here, but I must point out that the vast, vast majority of American businesses are small one person entrepreneurial operations with many being run out of our home. We don't look for investors or Venture Capital or government contracts and we don't plan to overcharge our customers for our services, we simply want to earn enough of a living to be able to support ourselves & our families. The cannibalize America (and her citizens) is the prevalent big business model operating today that ensures America is no longer the "free and open" market with competition that our corporate funded election processes pretend to mandate.
Fine precis of late-stage capitalism. I heard some regretful Trump voter the other day say (in re: Musk, decrees, tariffs, et al) “I voted for him because I wanted his business expertise. I wanted a businessman.” None of them will admit they knew he was “Trump”—they had one ideal they didn’t even vaguely understand and said, Well, he’s close enough. I wish this post was in some kind of talking points memo for the Democratic Party before the election. But they couldn’t do it anyway; they’re all just extensions of the business community. And that’s sad.
His business expertise? That was a myth he sold. He went bankrupt five times, his startups failed, his casinos failed, etc. He couldn’t get a loan from American banks, so he went to Deutsche Bank; , got a huge loan, backed by the Russians! And hence the Putin entrance into American politics. Trump’s life has always been a story of corruption. But Americans bought his fiction. BTW - no country can be run as a business; the goal is serving the people - not profit!
Yes. The post is clear: people have antiquated ideas about what comprises modern business practices. They think what they saw on the Apprentice is standard executive recruitment. The lack of basic ability to weigh info and process to Logical, unbiased, conclusion make question the idea that even the ignorant should be given a vote. And that’s something I never thought I’d say.
Yes, the Apprentice put him on the map. Until then he was a NY phenom. Those years made him TV ready to campaign and ‘big money’ made him a useful tool. And here we are watching the coup in tesl time! Can we curtail it?
Unfortunately. It’s having tough times, in NY still. BTW - I had a typo. I meant ‘real’ time but actually I want to create a new descriptive: “tesla time,” What do you think? ;)
Part of the reason for the Democrats' failure to go after this is that as Felon47 himself said in the runup to 2016 when asked when he became a Republican based on his donation history, wealthy people don't just buy Republicans, they buy both parties. We need to focus on the candidate, not the party.
I try to remind Trump voters that bring up the "businessman" thing that Trump literally lost money with a casino. I have squirrels in my yard that could make money with a casino, but Trump couldn't. Yet, they believe the hype because that is what American culture is built on-hype.
Clarity, beautifully composed! Thank-you, Lucas!! Same sad tale happened to the equally employee-empowering Polaroid Corporation.
I. Mac Booth was one of the first corporate raiders who took a wrecking ball to an innovative American founded, inspiring company.
Under this king’s reign of terrible, the pension fund was robbed, employees and retirees NEVER saw cent #1 of the mandated “Employee Stock Option Plan” ( ESOP)
No one saw a dollar of their raises for over a decade under this mandated plan. The stock plummeted as the company careened and collapsed, taking employees’ hard-earned dollars down the drain.
Retirees’ health insurance was summarily stopped. If my late husband hadn’t been able to join my medical plan’s spousal benefit, we would have been bankrupted for certain. I hope there is an especially 🔥HOT hell🔥for corporate raiders and Reagan republicans.
Folks: This is an insightful if incomplete view. As pointed out in other comments, there are also longer-term models of various kinds, from small companies to large enduring ones. Companies that actually add value to the world -- think Intel and AMD in the period from about 1980-2010 -- compete with the cited exploitative models. One underlying problem that is very important but not often cited is that a big part of this value chain in the last four decades has been silicon integrated circuitry, which got better and better ("Moore's law") for many years. That scaling ended about 7-8 years ago, and the consequences are now visible in the appearance of Silicon Valley CEO's at Mr. Trump's inauguration. Human history is heavily influenced by each technology and its integration into society. When you need smart people to do new stuff you have to respect them. When that's done you can steal it all without knowing how it works (the process described in the article).
Save our safety net! All that needs to be done is get congress off their assess to do the right thing. #1 Remove the Social Security FICA cap ($176K). The rich (over $176K) are making money off the backs of Average Joe for 200 years. The rich need to pay 100% FICA like the rest of us peasants. This alone will make the SSA solvent for 75+ years. #2 Stop the hiring freeze with the SSA. 11,000 baby boomers are retiring everyday and congress hasn't improved SSA's customer service since the 1980's. Stop kicking the can down the road. Time has run out! Fix it! #3 Stop the rehashed misinformation, lies & BS rhetoric of Elon & King Trump about the SSA. MAGA has a low IQ. So you'll have to explain to them what the facts are like a 3rd grader. Good luck!
I agree, especially with #1 and 2. I worked for SSA from 1975-2005, first as a Claims Authorizer working retirement claims, and then as a Disability Examiner. SSA definitely needs more funding to hire more employees and possibly buy better computer systems. I've been too long to know how their computer systems are now. But we went through several systems while I was there, but we never just stopped working before installing a new one. As to #3, I don't know if it's possible to stop the lies and misinformation.
Sadly I think there was a time when companies cared about their employees at least to some degree. I’m sure there still are, once in a while you read about an owner who lifts his associates up. This is the slash and burn method. It doesn’t work for long. Does anyone remember “Chainsaw”. Took over Sunbeam in Neosho and destroyed it.
No kidding - you've nailed this one, Lucas - sadly enough. Hopefully we can stop it before we reach the point of no return. Are there examples of any business in which the process was successfully halted before it was liquidated? Any models we can take courage from?
Thank you! I did not know the people or the details of why business models are failing. Now I know. I also know that government is not a business and should be run totally different than a business!
Jack Welch did just that, welched on the promise and future of General Electric. Looking for ever more fantastical returns he throttled and cut up the golden egg laying goose. It is not an accident that we are being ruled by an acolyte who has managed money printing factories into bankruptcy.
Once this rampant greed infects an economy and mode of thought it drives out all efforts to pursue rational management.
For those that want a softer message. "We didn't want this" in red, white and blue. Red for the Republicans who didn't want this (18%) and Blue for the Democrats(90%). A removable window sticker. https://wedidntwantthis.com. Small 1 1/2" X 11".
For those that want a more pointed message, "Billionaires suck". It's a paraphrase of power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. If you want a magnetic sticker for your car to voice your feelings about billionaires https://billionairessuck.me Small 1 1/2" X 10".
Opposition will only work from the grassroots this time. Billionaires aren't going to help, because they are the ones benefiting. Elected politicians won't help because they are afraid to get primaried and / or, they and their families are being physically intimidated. It can only be grassroots (you and me).
Activist need a loud way to join and quiet people need a quiet way to join. But we all need to join.
The stickers are from Sticker Mule. You could design your own. I don't make any money from this. We need a movement and fast. You can go to Sticker Mule and search for "billionaires" or "we didn't want this". Or come up with another idea to be heard. Less than $20 for 10 stickers.
Probably most businesses, especially the smaller ones, are honest and ethical. However, too many businesses are owned and controlled by private equity firms. They are not dealing with people they are dealing with numbers on ledger. They do not know the workers nor the customers and don't care about them.
This is a brilliant piece--should be in The Nation or some such publication. Rick Smith has also been haranguing on this topic for a few years now--that government should not be run like a business. I'd rather see businesses run like a democracy, i.e., employee owned.
My concern at this point, as Trump and Musk dismantle our government, make us the laughingstock of the world, and breech every national security protocol, thus endangering us, is how do we stop it?
This is a first for Americans, to have a president (who is actually disqualified from being president) who is so corrupt, mentally damaged, morally bankrupt, and indifferent to other humans' needs that we don't know what to do. As Americans we have to unite to save this country.
Protests are good but not enough. We need to push all elected officials to join together and block Trump/Musk's actions in congress. I know the republicans are terrified of the MAGAs. What they need to realize is that we outnumber the MAGAs. What if we offered them an out - join us in stopping Trump/Musk, for the good of our nation, and we'll protect you? I know it sounds a little extreme but these are unprecedented times and I'm looking for any way to stop it.
Most urgently, we must stop Musk and his teenage ilk from taking our personal data. Remember, they took no oath of office and have no security clearance. This alone, is a huge threat. It is imperative to put a stop to Musk's raiding of our personal data (which is about as un-American as it gets).
Also, there is ample cause for impeachment or, better yet, invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump. So far, Trump has refused to perform the duties of the office because he is so focused on revenge. I think an argument can be made to remove him from office because of his delusional positions (i.e., making Canada the 51st state; taking Greenland by force). If Joe Biden had said or done even one thing that Trump has said/done, he would have been impeached, so why does this guy always get a pass?
Lucas, I agree with everything you wrote except one item, about "a generation of boomer politicians." (I'm a pre-boomer, born in 1943.) The politicians who are destroying our country span several generations, and all they care about is money and power. The destruction started with Reagan in 1980. It continues with the full support of GOP types like Josh Hawley, age 45--and the quiet connivance of Democratic politicians who are in the pockets of their rich donors. Those few who have shown the guts to oppose the current system include Bernie Sanders, age 83, and Barbara Lee, age 78. So knock off the ageism, please.
Lucas; I don't disagree with your lesson here, but I must point out that the vast, vast majority of American businesses are small one person entrepreneurial operations with many being run out of our home. We don't look for investors or Venture Capital or government contracts and we don't plan to overcharge our customers for our services, we simply want to earn enough of a living to be able to support ourselves & our families. The cannibalize America (and her citizens) is the prevalent big business model operating today that ensures America is no longer the "free and open" market with competition that our corporate funded election processes pretend to mandate.
Fine precis of late-stage capitalism. I heard some regretful Trump voter the other day say (in re: Musk, decrees, tariffs, et al) “I voted for him because I wanted his business expertise. I wanted a businessman.” None of them will admit they knew he was “Trump”—they had one ideal they didn’t even vaguely understand and said, Well, he’s close enough. I wish this post was in some kind of talking points memo for the Democratic Party before the election. But they couldn’t do it anyway; they’re all just extensions of the business community. And that’s sad.
His business expertise? That was a myth he sold. He went bankrupt five times, his startups failed, his casinos failed, etc. He couldn’t get a loan from American banks, so he went to Deutsche Bank; , got a huge loan, backed by the Russians! And hence the Putin entrance into American politics. Trump’s life has always been a story of corruption. But Americans bought his fiction. BTW - no country can be run as a business; the goal is serving the people - not profit!
Yes. The post is clear: people have antiquated ideas about what comprises modern business practices. They think what they saw on the Apprentice is standard executive recruitment. The lack of basic ability to weigh info and process to Logical, unbiased, conclusion make question the idea that even the ignorant should be given a vote. And that’s something I never thought I’d say.
Yes, the Apprentice put him on the map. Until then he was a NY phenom. Those years made him TV ready to campaign and ‘big money’ made him a useful tool. And here we are watching the coup in tesl time! Can we curtail it?
Speaks volumes about NY, doesn't it?
Unfortunately. It’s having tough times, in NY still. BTW - I had a typo. I meant ‘real’ time but actually I want to create a new descriptive: “tesla time,” What do you think? ;)
Part of the reason for the Democrats' failure to go after this is that as Felon47 himself said in the runup to 2016 when asked when he became a Republican based on his donation history, wealthy people don't just buy Republicans, they buy both parties. We need to focus on the candidate, not the party.
As long as they're not today's republicans.
Carle, yes, talking points, please!
I try to remind Trump voters that bring up the "businessman" thing that Trump literally lost money with a casino. I have squirrels in my yard that could make money with a casino, but Trump couldn't. Yet, they believe the hype because that is what American culture is built on-hype.
Clarity, beautifully composed! Thank-you, Lucas!! Same sad tale happened to the equally employee-empowering Polaroid Corporation.
I. Mac Booth was one of the first corporate raiders who took a wrecking ball to an innovative American founded, inspiring company.
Under this king’s reign of terrible, the pension fund was robbed, employees and retirees NEVER saw cent #1 of the mandated “Employee Stock Option Plan” ( ESOP)
No one saw a dollar of their raises for over a decade under this mandated plan. The stock plummeted as the company careened and collapsed, taking employees’ hard-earned dollars down the drain.
Retirees’ health insurance was summarily stopped. If my late husband hadn’t been able to join my medical plan’s spousal benefit, we would have been bankrupted for certain. I hope there is an especially 🔥HOT hell🔥for corporate raiders and Reagan republicans.
Folks: This is an insightful if incomplete view. As pointed out in other comments, there are also longer-term models of various kinds, from small companies to large enduring ones. Companies that actually add value to the world -- think Intel and AMD in the period from about 1980-2010 -- compete with the cited exploitative models. One underlying problem that is very important but not often cited is that a big part of this value chain in the last four decades has been silicon integrated circuitry, which got better and better ("Moore's law") for many years. That scaling ended about 7-8 years ago, and the consequences are now visible in the appearance of Silicon Valley CEO's at Mr. Trump's inauguration. Human history is heavily influenced by each technology and its integration into society. When you need smart people to do new stuff you have to respect them. When that's done you can steal it all without knowing how it works (the process described in the article).
Save our safety net! All that needs to be done is get congress off their assess to do the right thing. #1 Remove the Social Security FICA cap ($176K). The rich (over $176K) are making money off the backs of Average Joe for 200 years. The rich need to pay 100% FICA like the rest of us peasants. This alone will make the SSA solvent for 75+ years. #2 Stop the hiring freeze with the SSA. 11,000 baby boomers are retiring everyday and congress hasn't improved SSA's customer service since the 1980's. Stop kicking the can down the road. Time has run out! Fix it! #3 Stop the rehashed misinformation, lies & BS rhetoric of Elon & King Trump about the SSA. MAGA has a low IQ. So you'll have to explain to them what the facts are like a 3rd grader. Good luck!
I agree, especially with #1 and 2. I worked for SSA from 1975-2005, first as a Claims Authorizer working retirement claims, and then as a Disability Examiner. SSA definitely needs more funding to hire more employees and possibly buy better computer systems. I've been too long to know how their computer systems are now. But we went through several systems while I was there, but we never just stopped working before installing a new one. As to #3, I don't know if it's possible to stop the lies and misinformation.
Sadly I think there was a time when companies cared about their employees at least to some degree. I’m sure there still are, once in a while you read about an owner who lifts his associates up. This is the slash and burn method. It doesn’t work for long. Does anyone remember “Chainsaw”. Took over Sunbeam in Neosho and destroyed it.
No kidding - you've nailed this one, Lucas - sadly enough. Hopefully we can stop it before we reach the point of no return. Are there examples of any business in which the process was successfully halted before it was liquidated? Any models we can take courage from?
Thank you! I did not know the people or the details of why business models are failing. Now I know. I also know that government is not a business and should be run totally different than a business!
Congresswoman Jayapahl introduced legislation to end Citizens United. 🇺🇸🌟 Please support this, call, write, share! 🫂🤝🇺🇸🕯️
Jack Welch did just that, welched on the promise and future of General Electric. Looking for ever more fantastical returns he throttled and cut up the golden egg laying goose. It is not an accident that we are being ruled by an acolyte who has managed money printing factories into bankruptcy.
Once this rampant greed infects an economy and mode of thought it drives out all efforts to pursue rational management.
Mitt Romney did this too.
We didn't want this.
For those that want a softer message. "We didn't want this" in red, white and blue. Red for the Republicans who didn't want this (18%) and Blue for the Democrats(90%). A removable window sticker. https://wedidntwantthis.com. Small 1 1/2" X 11".
For those that want a more pointed message, "Billionaires suck". It's a paraphrase of power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. If you want a magnetic sticker for your car to voice your feelings about billionaires https://billionairessuck.me Small 1 1/2" X 10".
Opposition will only work from the grassroots this time. Billionaires aren't going to help, because they are the ones benefiting. Elected politicians won't help because they are afraid to get primaried and / or, they and their families are being physically intimidated. It can only be grassroots (you and me).
Activist need a loud way to join and quiet people need a quiet way to join. But we all need to join.
The stickers are from Sticker Mule. You could design your own. I don't make any money from this. We need a movement and fast. You can go to Sticker Mule and search for "billionaires" or "we didn't want this". Or come up with another idea to be heard. Less than $20 for 10 stickers.
Your Efforts Are! Appreciated 🫂🇺🇸🕯️🤝
Well said and needed. Thank you.
Probably most businesses, especially the smaller ones, are honest and ethical. However, too many businesses are owned and controlled by private equity firms. They are not dealing with people they are dealing with numbers on ledger. They do not know the workers nor the customers and don't care about them.
This is a brilliant piece--should be in The Nation or some such publication. Rick Smith has also been haranguing on this topic for a few years now--that government should not be run like a business. I'd rather see businesses run like a democracy, i.e., employee owned.
My concern at this point, as Trump and Musk dismantle our government, make us the laughingstock of the world, and breech every national security protocol, thus endangering us, is how do we stop it?
This is a first for Americans, to have a president (who is actually disqualified from being president) who is so corrupt, mentally damaged, morally bankrupt, and indifferent to other humans' needs that we don't know what to do. As Americans we have to unite to save this country.
Protests are good but not enough. We need to push all elected officials to join together and block Trump/Musk's actions in congress. I know the republicans are terrified of the MAGAs. What they need to realize is that we outnumber the MAGAs. What if we offered them an out - join us in stopping Trump/Musk, for the good of our nation, and we'll protect you? I know it sounds a little extreme but these are unprecedented times and I'm looking for any way to stop it.
Most urgently, we must stop Musk and his teenage ilk from taking our personal data. Remember, they took no oath of office and have no security clearance. This alone, is a huge threat. It is imperative to put a stop to Musk's raiding of our personal data (which is about as un-American as it gets).
Also, there is ample cause for impeachment or, better yet, invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump. So far, Trump has refused to perform the duties of the office because he is so focused on revenge. I think an argument can be made to remove him from office because of his delusional positions (i.e., making Canada the 51st state; taking Greenland by force). If Joe Biden had said or done even one thing that Trump has said/done, he would have been impeached, so why does this guy always get a pass?
Lucas, I agree with everything you wrote except one item, about "a generation of boomer politicians." (I'm a pre-boomer, born in 1943.) The politicians who are destroying our country span several generations, and all they care about is money and power. The destruction started with Reagan in 1980. It continues with the full support of GOP types like Josh Hawley, age 45--and the quiet connivance of Democratic politicians who are in the pockets of their rich donors. Those few who have shown the guts to oppose the current system include Bernie Sanders, age 83, and Barbara Lee, age 78. So knock off the ageism, please.