Well, that's your perspective

I hadn't read this article on purpose, but Haas Bloggisms forwarded this to me so I went ahead and read it anyway, knowing that it'd set me off. It did. I expected what it reported and it all makes sense in a capitalistic sort of way, yet here's another group that is looking for some other sort of societal model to base our lives on other than capitalism. Per them, "the fact that leading outsourcers make more money than average CEOs is one more reflection of a perverse system that rewards executives for making decisions that may improve their bottom line while hurting workers and communities."

So, what should CEOs be rewarded on? Home town employment? For example, a CEO should get a big bonus if everyone in the corporate home town is employed, despite their qualifications. And what if this causes the company to be unprofitable? Wouldn't that result in the company going out of business and then having to lay off everyone in the town? How is this socially beneficial? Yes, I know this is an extreme example, but it works, doesn't it?

How 'bout this? Let's say that Dell employees only US call center reps, and that the add'l cost of these reps causes the prices of their PCs to go up $2-300 thus making the average cost of a home PC over $1000. These same people will be screaming about the high price of technology and about the digital divide between people who can afford technology and those who can't, and they'll call on the same government leaders to do something about it. Which of these scenarios is better, or is either of them? If you have to choose between technology most people can't afford and technology some people can afford, but that would require a higher level of unemployment, what do you do? And where's the happy line here that makes everyone happy? Oh, and this example, which is specific to Dell and to technology, can be extrapolated out to every product that is made outside the US.

If all products rise in price but people are employed (who, in reality, won't be able to afford these higher prices because wages won't keep pace), are we any better off? The cost of living goes up, the poverty line rises and there's still some people in this country who will not be as well off as others. Someone, somewhere will still be unhappy. There's not a solution here. So, instead of continuing to point out how this country is failing in one way or the other, get all your smart people together with the smart people from other griping groups and present us with a reasonable, rational solution. Quit wasting time and resources on junk like this and do something beneficial with your funds.