[CS-FSLUG] Corporate Rule

[Chris Brault]

I have not heard this put so eloquently,


> The individual consumer ceases to exist as
> anything more than an economic source -- the buyer.
> Whether the buyer has a genuine need for the 
> merchandise is seldom a factor in
> consideration. Do they want it; can they be made to
> want it? This dehumanization is the tragedy of what 
> began as an attempt to make life for humans better. 

This is the dilemma of any business. So many things
today are "bad" that were in time past good, that the
moral dilemma becomes even more obvious. How do you
serve the consumer when you know that in reality, the
consumer "needs" so little? Do you advertise, knowing
that the consumer will make up their own mind, or do
you create a desire for your product, assuming, "Hey!
People are going to buy product X anyways, why not
mine?" or "This product is so great, I don't see why
everyone isn't using it!" And if any of you are
investors in a company, you know that the fanatical
language of the latter statement is what you actually
hear from the corporate heads. So, what is best for
the consumer?

As an example, take a man who sells snack foods and
soft drinks. He knows that his products are "bad" for
the health of his customers. He realizes that the mere
presence of his machines only helps the consumer
continue in their mad dash for a slow, painful death
at the hands of a stroke or heart disease. Does he
still advertise? Is there a "moral" position? 

I mean, let's face it. If you own a business, you look
for ways to maximize profits (there are entire
companies dedicated to this). The question is, "At
what cost?" What about a Chrsitian working in the film
or music industry? What function's can they perform
and how? 

------------------------------------------------------

> That power is asserted in a mixture of
> money to buy a politician's fame (we call them
> "campaign contributions") and direct voter influence

> by manipulating the consumers. "If you want to 
> protect your right to have this great
> product, you need to tell your representative..."

Indeed, the only way to win elections is to reach x
number of people using mass media with a message they
want to hear. And if company Y likes the message, they
may decide to help you spread the word.

------------------------------------------------------

> Unions are simply monopoly suppliers of labor, and 
> they have played this game from the
> start. In each case, it is still a matter that no
> one cares in the least what the individual consumer 
> needs, they are simply another market to be 
> manipulated.

You are a smart one. However, don't forget that unions
helped temper the wage slavery (which still exists
when you work to make others rich) and also greatly
improved working conditions at a time when the
conditions were terribly poor.


		
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail