age of greed?

[spikerS]

Been thinking on this for awhile now. I think we need to name the age we are currently in, you know, like the bronze age, ect....

I am talking on more of a global scale now. even taking things into consideration like Kyoto agreement, customer service at you local wal-mart, the service you receive from you bank, social service agencies and government.

It seems no matter where you turn, nothing else matters except the all-mighty dollar. Not only is it how much money can a business or a corporation squeeze out of your cheqing account, or how much money can you, yourself dupe someone to buy your second hand product. It seems to me that consequences be damned is the popular thought. I just scammed that guy, or My client now owes us soo much money that he will never get out of debt and will be making intrest payments till he is 214 years old.

Now, i am not THAT old. going to be 29 in july, but I can still remember when i was a kid, that people or companies actually had the thought of weather or not a situation was workable for their client, or that a hand shake was as good as a signature on a piece of paper, and that there was corporate responsibility. Today, every i is dotted, every t is crossed, and all anyone cares about is themselves, and how can they take the most money from you, honestly or otherwise.

Now take a moment and look at yourself. Do you see yourself as someone who cares for your fellow man, and willing to make a little less money helping someone, or are you more of a survival of the fittest, and anyone outside your immediate family be damned!

Discuss.

[Hakkola]

IMO, every age has been pretty much the same. People have always been violent and greedy.

[sweeks]

Greed is the driving force behind humans. everything we do stems from it good and bad.

[Ripper]

Its part of the information age. Its always been like this you are just more exposed to it now.

[Crymson]

I think every age has been the age of greed. I think that what sets our current circumstances apart from those of the past is that we lack any sense of real community. I would think that its more "every man for himself" now, than it ever was before.

[ctruo]

I have seen this all too often. People giving up friends, family, and their own humanity to make a quick buck. What makes me sick is when a person can fuk you over and have no feelings over it.

[pf0sh0]

I am almost 99.9999% sure the people who vote "I put my fellow man before the dollar." truthfully look out for #1 most of the time.

[szw]

Actually I think in general there is more corporate responsibility now than ever.

[Xtrema]

we are conditioned to be greedy. There is always something you want and ways to get it which is all stem from various degree of greed.

[thrasher22]

Originally posted by Hakkola
IMO, every age has been pretty much the same. People have always been violent and greedy.

You probably just didn't notice it as much when you were younger IMO.

If you really get down to the nitty gritty, its better now than say, the industrial revolution. The difference now is there are more middle class, so there are far more people with the chance to screw each other over in business. It the past it was a small percentage just ripped off everybody.

[pf0sh0]

Originally posted by Xtrema
we are conditioned to be greedy. There is always something you want and ways to get it which is all stem from various degree of greed.

agreed.

[Redlyne_mr2]

There are various forms of greed, North America is especially bad. Thats one of the reasons the US and even Canada are looked down upon. Calgary seems to be especially bad as well however. Alot of new money and consumerism.

[pinoyhero]

Your question covers too many topics, the poll it self isn't even that clear ...

I put my fellow man before the dollar, I read that as you will act ethically in society during a dollar transaction, sure makes sense, I think most will.

I find ways to sell ice to eskimos, that cliche is typically used in the context of sales or smooth talking, I'm sure a good chunk of folks here fancy themselves able to do that aswell.

Where's the both button?

There's way to much room on your spectrum between "i'd kill someone for a loonie" and "everytime I walk by a homeless person i give them money"

[spikerS]

Originally posted by pinoyhero
Your question covers too many topics, the poll it self isn't even that clear ...

I put my fellow man before the dollar, I read that as you will act ethically in society during a dollar transaction, sure makes sense, I think most will.

I find ways to sell ice to eskimos, that cliche is typically used in the context of sales or smooth talking, I'm sure a good chunk of folks here fancy themselves able to do that aswell.

Where's the both button?

There's way to much room on your spectrum between "i'd kill someone for a loonie" and "everytime I walk by a homeless person i give them money"

I understand you point completely, but in my experience, everyone could fall into both categories, but will always lean more one way than the other, and 95% of the time, it will be a huge gap. I wanted to find the way the majority leaned, hence why i did not put a both button.

while I agree that greed has always been there, i have really noticed it happening more and more since about the mid '90s. Today's society has even placed a dollar figgure on human life. For example, a drug company can develop a brand new, life saving drug, one that could cure everyone of this disease. they have the right to patent it, and have free reign with this product over the next XXX years. then, because they know all these termanally ill patiets, and future ones absolutely need the drug, can charge a huge premium for it, effectively pricing it out of alot of people's ability to purchase the drug and still live and buy food / keep a roof over their heads.

Now alot of people say, well this is the fruit of the companies R&D, sweat and labor and such. While this is true, many people can die for the sole reason of the price.

Now i just used the above as an example, and there are many others out there.

But companies like this are now drivin by the dollar. people with this massive greed complex that will do anything for the dollar, hide behind these faceless corporations. The CEOs and CFOs and whoever else can now say "we do this to keep the share holder's money in the company", again hiding behind the faceless corporation.

I don't know, maybe I am biased in this as I grew up in a farming community where everyone pitched in and helped out during a time of need, and expected nothing more than a thank you, and if the situation permitted, a nice hot home cooked meal or 2 during the endeavor.

I think that gone is the day of "do unto your fellow man as you would do unto yourself" and has morphed into "screw your fellow man, before they screw you."

[szw]

I don't know, maybe I am biased in this as I grew up in a farming community where everyone pitched in and helped out during a time of need, and expected nothing more than a thank you, and if the situation permitted, a nice hot home cooked meal or 2 during the endeavor.

I don't think this is biased, just sheltered.

[spikerS]

Originally posted by szw


I don't think this is biased, just sheltered.

ok, sheltered works too.

But how many of you would go out of your way to help someone that you had never met before, and not expect anything in return?

[szw]

Your questions are vague and your thoughts are all over the place. What answers are you expecting to receive? Specifically your last question, there are tons of factors that will affect any decision to be made.

How was there more corporate responsibility 20 years ago than now? examples?

[spikerS]

i understand that my thoughts are all over the place, hell even I know that, I am just having trouble putting all the ducks in a row.

Not really expecting any kind of answer one way or another, was just hoping to spawn some thought provoking discussion.

And I can't really site specific examples of corporate responsibility, none spring to mind right off the bat.

again, was just hoping to probe other people's minds on what I believe is a issue of the day, nothing more.

[rc2002]

I think as you get older, you can actually see greed for what it is. You're get more and more exposed to it as you accumulate more wealth and have more business dealings.

Another thing that doesn't help is the population increase. I remember back over twenty years ago here in Calgary the banks used to give out free donuts, bank accounts had no such thing as service charges, Mcdonalds use to give out free treat of the week toys (they were higher quality than even the toys that come with happy meals these days). More people = more competition and businesses have to cut wherever they can.

It's only going to get worse as we get older.

[GTS Jeff]

It's easy to blame the system for your own misgivings.