Whew! Haven't been in this particular room in awhile! Things have really picked up!!! Well I've said it before and I'll say it again...capitalism isn't perfect, but no system is, and it beats the hell out of socialism, communism, facism, and any other -ism you can throw in.
Ted, there would be no incentive to move up the ladder and take on additional responsibilities if there weren't extra pay involved. As for the compaints about profits, hey it's no fun living paycheck to paycheck, and I've been there. I admit much of that was my own stupidity...just having to have this or that cassette or LP, and name your gadget. But I remember in the early 90's if I had $200 to my name, I was doing good. Through it all I've never had a problem keeping up with my financial obligations and I have good credit, then and now. Although I'm still far from wealthy, and just barely in the lower middle class, I'm doing much better as far as saving money goes, not hanging by a thread like I used to. And that's partially why profit is important. The greater the cushion that profit creates the better able a person or company is to weather any unexpected expense that may come up.
I do have a few bones to pick with corporations. The major one is the way many employees are laid off...just cut off at the legs without warning. Of course positions do become obsolete in time, and terminations can not always be avoided. However, it certainly wouldn't hurt the people in management to give at least 8 weeks' notice, so the affected employees can start searching and hopefully find something. After all, if I were to tell my apartment manager tomorrow that I'm moving to another place, I would have to pay all sorts of penalties for breaking my lease, which isn't up until February. And once you've signed up with AOL or name your ISP for a year, you are committed to that agreement, once the guarantee period is up. The same goes for health club contracts, etc. To get to the point, if we could negotiate with the management an agreement (without that union-and-walking-off-the-job crap or more Fed regulation) that as long as our job performance is good, we won't have to worry about suddenly coming face-to-face with the ax. And if future layoffs are inevitable, we will get plenty of notice...the exception being in the event the company is going down the toilet. Again, if you're a loafer, you bring whatever consequence on yourself.
Furthermore, more communication between management and employees would come in handy. The management should communicate the company's financial condition to the employees through literature and staff meetings, so the employees can negotiate the best salaries the company can pay, and still be able to function comfortably. Federally-mandated minimum wages are put in place without regard to how businesses would be affected.
There is much more to the picture than I just mentioned, and I admit I don't have all the answers. Plus I'm getting tired as I write this and the brain farts are starting. But if we put our heads together, I think we can come up with a win-win that will benefit the majority of the population, without preventing any individual from going as far as he/she can in terms of skills, responsibilities, and money-making potential.
None.
