why we may be on the road to economic slavery.
----
>> I'd like to make you a business offer.
>>
>> Seriously. This is a real offer. In fact, you really can't turn me down, >> as
>> you'll come to understand in a moment...
>>
>> Here's the deal. You're going to start a business or expand the one >> you've
>> got now. It doesn't really matter what you do or what you're going to do.
>> I'll partner with you no matter what business you're in - as long as it's
>> legal.
>>
>> But I can't give you any capital - you have to come up with that on your
>> own. I won't give you any labor - that's definitely up to you. What I >> will
>> do, however, is demand you follow all sorts of rules about what products >> and
>> services you can offer, how much (and how often) you pay your employees, >> and
>> where and when you're allowed to operate your business. That's my role in
>> the affair: to tell you what to do.
>>
>> Now in return for my rules, I'm going to take roughly half of whatever >> you
>> make in the business each year. Half seems fair, doesn't it? I think so. >> Of
>> course, that's half of your profits.
>>
>> You're also going to have to pay me about 12% of whatever you decide to >> pay
>> your employees because you've got to cover my expenses for promulgating >> all
>> of the rules about who you can employ, when, where, and how. Come on, >> you're
>> my partner. It's only "fair."
>>
>> Now... after you've put your hard-earned savings at risk to start this
>> business, and after you've worked hard at it for a few decades (paying me >> my
>> 50% or a bit more along the way each year), you might decide you'd like >> to
>> cash out - to finally live the good life.
>>
>> Whether or not this is "fair" - some people never can afford to retire - >> is
>> a different argument. As your partner, I'm happy for you to sell whenever
>> you'd like... because our agreement says, if you sell, you have to pay me >> an
>> additional 20% of whatever the capitalized value of the business is at >> that
>> time.
>>
>> I know... I know... you put up all the original capital. You took all the
>> risks. You put in all of the labor. That's all true. But I've done my >> part,
>> too. I've collected 50% of the profits each year. And I've always come up
>> with more rules for you to follow each year. Therefore, I deserve >> another,
>> final 20% slice of the business.
>>
>> Oh... and one more thing...
>>
>> Even after you've sold the business and paid all of my fees... I'd >> recommend
>> buying lots of life insurance. You see, even after you've been retired >> for
>> years, when you die, you'll have to pay me 50% of whatever your estate is
>> worth.
>>
>> After all, I've got lots of partners and not all of them are as >> successful
>> as you and your family. We don't think it's "fair" for your kids to have
>> such a big advantage. But if you buy enough life insurance, you can >> finance
>> this expense for your children.
>>
>> All in all, if you're a very successful entrepreneur... if you're one of >> the
>> rare, lucky, and hard-working people who can create a new company, employ
>> lots of people, and satisfy the public... you'll end up paying me more >> than
>> 75% of your income over your life. Thanks so much.
>>
>> I'm sure you'll think my offer is reasonable and happily partner with >> me...
>> but it doesn't really matter how you feel about it because if you ever >> try
>> to stiff me - or cheat me on any of my fees or rules - I'll break down >> your
>> door in the middle of the night, threaten you and your family with heavy,
>> automatic weapons, and throw you in jail.
That's how civil society is supposed to work, right? This is America,
isn't it?
That's the offer America gives its entrepreneurs. And the idiots in
Washington wonder why there are no new jobs...
Fwd: partner
8/29/2010 07:47:00 AM
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7 comments:
Someone's math sucks. And so do their analogies.
Yup, the government doesn't provide anything worthwhile at all. Its not like you'll get your SS money paid back to you at a later point in life? It's not like you'll get Medicare.
And what does government have to do with business, really? Educating the workforce? Creating the money as a means of exchange? Insuring bank deposits in order to build confidence? Having a system of laws and courts in order to protect private property and ensure public safety? A huge military to protect us from threats as well as secure the natural resources which our economies need to thrive? Roads, bridges, tunnel, mass transit, the Internet, and pretty much every other piece of infrastructure, all of which are vital to economic growth and stability?
Bah, humbug! Get rid of them all! We don't need no stinking government to be our "business partners".
That's not even remotely how it works.
Read Frank Rich's op/ed in NYT today. He exposes
the Koch brothers for the shitheels they are:
Multi-billionaires trying to game the system
for themselves.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/opinion/29rich.html?adxnnl=1&ref=globalhome&adxnnlx=1283087026-GNEzXulXVY8fFFige06S9A
I was going to respond with the litany of all the things that "I" - i.e., - the government - do, and ask how, exactly, you expect to run a business without my roads, sewers, military, laws & law enfrocement, currency, education of your workers, etc., but first Anonymous got there first and spelled it all out.
I will add a translation of the following "What I will do, however, is demand you follow all sorts of rules about what products and services you can offer, how much (and how often) you pay your employees, and where and when you're allowed to operate your business."
In other words, I'll forbid you from enslaving people, forbid you from employing children (or heck, even adults, I'm that unreasonable!) for 14-hour days at starvation wages in dangerous work environments, forbid you from dumping poison into our air and water, forbid you from stealing public resources for your products, forbid you from producing dangerous products and services and lying about their safety, forbid you from buiding a factory in a national park due to my ridiculous zoning laws, and probably forbid you from doing a host of other perfectly reasonable things I've forgotten to mention.
Yeah, government's a real bitch, ain't she?
Ass numbers!
Gee wouldn't it be wonderful to have no gov't, laws or regulations. Buy dubious food with no inspectors or regulations. Great! No water system, so go dig a well in your backyard and good luck with that. Good luck buying electricity and gasoline. Oh, didn't know that the useless gov't subsidizes all kinds of businesses, like BigOil, which results in the USA having low price at the pump?
And so on. The numbers are all out of whack. This is some kind of TeaBagger Ayn Rand fantasy on steriods.
Those who want to buy this booga booga crap should move to Mogadishu and send a post card advising on how fantastic it is living in a libertarian paradise with no gov't, laws or regs.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer
More on the multi-billionaire Koch brothers who the biggest supporters of and contributors to the Tea Party. Ultra-billionaires like the Kochs don't want any laws or regs governing their business practices - like paying workers a fair wage in safe conditions - nor do they want to pay a dime in personal or buiness taxes. But the Kochs are the first to stand in line with their hands out for gov't subsidies, tax breaks and gov't donations.
Why Tea Baggers, who have little chance of making that kind of money, want to whine about taxes on billionaires eludes me. Why Tea Baggers want to work robber barons who are more likely to pay them paltry wages and have them work in unsafe, crummy conditions is beyond me.
The Unions brought US workers the living wage, the weekend, the 8 hour work day and no child labor. Shame on the Unions!!
What a load of bunk this is.
If there aren't that many new small businesses, it's not because of anything nefarious with the government. It's because the banks aren't lending money. Duh...
Why don't these idiots ever write anything useful about that??
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