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Re: Stan Patterson: What Say You About Chlorine Storage at Belmont?
Author: T Judah
Date: 11-25-2009 - 18:07
Indeed, you said it all! -- "As long as it is. . . . . . (fill in the blank)
Pure "Capitalism" is all about the bottom line and nothing but the bottom line - right. And that bottom line can always be made fatter and fatter by finding more and more corners to cut. Safety costs money; security costs money; decent products cost extra money; customer service costs extra money; non-slave labor costs money; being green costs money; doing IT right costs money; it all costs money. Honesty costs money - lots of it!
Since all of these very essential things have critically important social value to all of us, but bring nothing down to the capitalist bottom line; any company that does them while their competition does not, will not survive. This was indeed the very argument put forth by Thomas Jefferson; as he attempted to put the abolition of slavery into the Constitution from the beginning. All competing plantations must give up their slaves, or none could. If even one so-called "pure" capitalist refuses to spend money on these "social values", even if perfectly legal; then could any one else afford to spend what their competition isn't - NOooo! NOT A CHANCE in hell!
Any businessman with any brains accepts this kind of regulation to make sure his competition is not shaving costs, thus forcing him to do the same - which inevitably will cause much pain and sorrow to one's own community and country.
So all railroad activities, as dangerous as they can be, have been regulated for nearly a hundred years now for these very reasons. So Yeah - while I perfectly well understand the emotion "don't care what the ______ think"; it can turn into a bad attitude in a businessman, and is ultimately not good for his business.
Call me a pinko-commie if you like, but no - pure capitalism is not what Americans hold dear. Actually, Americans seem to abhor companies that don't play nice in the social sandbox. But "Free Enterprise" is held dear, when regulated with moderation, to "Provide for the general welfare", as it says in the Constitution.
idea is to help asure y
Pure "Capitalism" is all about the bottom line and nothing but the bottom line - right. And that bottom line can always be made fatter and fatter by finding more and more corners to cut. Safety costs money; security costs money; decent products cost extra money; customer service costs extra money; non-slave labor costs money; being green costs money; doing IT right costs money; it all costs money. Honesty costs money - lots of it!
Since all of these very essential things have critically important social value to all of us, but bring nothing down to the capitalist bottom line; any company that does them while their competition does not, will not survive. This was indeed the very argument put forth by Thomas Jefferson; as he attempted to put the abolition of slavery into the Constitution from the beginning. All competing plantations must give up their slaves, or none could. If even one so-called "pure" capitalist refuses to spend money on these "social values", even if perfectly legal; then could any one else afford to spend what their competition isn't - NOooo! NOT A CHANCE in hell!
Any businessman with any brains accepts this kind of regulation to make sure his competition is not shaving costs, thus forcing him to do the same - which inevitably will cause much pain and sorrow to one's own community and country.
So all railroad activities, as dangerous as they can be, have been regulated for nearly a hundred years now for these very reasons. So Yeah - while I perfectly well understand the emotion "don't care what the ______ think"; it can turn into a bad attitude in a businessman, and is ultimately not good for his business.
Call me a pinko-commie if you like, but no - pure capitalism is not what Americans hold dear. Actually, Americans seem to abhor companies that don't play nice in the social sandbox. But "Free Enterprise" is held dear, when regulated with moderation, to "Provide for the general welfare", as it says in the Constitution.
idea is to help asure y
