[cosmichobo]

G'day,

Interest rates go up. Banks pass that increase (and sometimes more) to their customers within a few days.

Interest rates go down. Banks hold on to that savings for - weeks. Making them millions of dollars.

Banks charge customers fees 100x any real costs incurred, further increasing their massive billion dollar profit margins.

Entrepreneur works out way to get government funding to create a massive business empire. Gets too ambitious seeking money from overseas markets, and causes collapse of said business. Government left to put more money into failed business to avoid massive labour crisis.

Fast Food business with global profits of 1bn suckers the public into further increasing their profits by holding annual fundraiser for tax write-off.


Is it possible for business to suceed in today's world without being so... greedy? If these companies were not publically listed, would it make a difference? Are shareholders to blame?

When did you last go to your local milk bar... and it wasn't a 7/11?

jimhobo is awake... gotta run.


cheers

cosmic

[bartron]

Catch 22

Without the stock market and associated focus on shareholder benefits companies would make products that benefit the consumer rather than produce the most amount of money for minimal outlay.....however there would be no way to generate capital with which to fund R&D.

Whatever the system in place there will be people/companies that will exploit it.

[chrome]

Psychopathy and Corporations

[Mike Sprawson]

Originally Posted by chrome

Psychopathy and Corporations

Exactly. I read "Without Conscience" over 10 years ago, I was gob smacked at first, yet it did make sense. In all walks of life (not just business), there are those who might not have killed anyone (that we know of), but by the time they've finished with you, you can end up wishing you were dead.

[SyncMan]

Originally Posted by cosmichobo

Are shareholders to blame?

Yes, no, maybe, sort of.

Let me put it another way, everyone is part of the problem.

But the Gordon Gekko's of the world are the worst part.

[Currawong]

Didn't someone say that 60% of all money goes to the govt. as taxes? You earn money, it's taxed, and with what's left you buy goods that are taxed multiple times.