I
lament the days that have quickly fallen by the wayside of the old-time
family business, which was owned and funded by one man--or two or
three--who had started the business way back when.  As he grew too old
to run it, he passed it on to a family member.  These people prided
themselves on their company, its quality, its service and its employees.

These
businesses either have been swallowed by huge conglomerates or driven
out by other mega businesses.  Now rather than one or two funding a
business, we have investors who fund the business with their stock
purchases.  Investors are scattered hither and yon with no vested
concern for the welfare of the business or its employees.  Their one
and only concern is that it show a profit.

To
accomplish this they hired managers at 1000 times what the average
"Joe" slaving in the armpit of humanity was earning.  They then
promised these CEO's and CFO's percentages of the profits as further
incentives.  However, soon, these guys wised up and began demanding
that it be put in their contracts that they receive these huge bonuses
whether the company turned a profit or not.  They also added another
stipulation--monster "umbrella" packages in the millions to "tide them
over" should they be fired.

The
managers, sitting in their $20,000 offices furnished at company expense
slashed wages, cut the work force, demanded more work and more hours
from their employees 'lucky' enough to still have a job; and, in
general, did not give a flying flip whether the company or company
service suffered so long as it improved the bottom line, if only for
the short term. 

If
that didn't work, they shut the plant down and moved it to Mexico,
India, China or some other place where they could hire unskilled labor
at ridiculous prices, further undermining our economy and the dollar. 
These workers could also manufacture without the constraints of
consumer protection, shipping products often tainted with lead paint
or, in the case of dog food, with actual additives that killed the
animals.

That,
my friends, is why civilized countries around the world who are trying
to operate under a free market society are in big time trouble.

But, hey!  We've still got our holidays, so let's enjoy them while we still can.