Comments on: Did Blackwater Evade Taxes? http://lubbockleft.com/2007/10/22/did-blackwater-evade-taxes/ A strong progressive voice in Lubbock, TX Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:53:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Lubbock Left http://lubbockleft.com/2007/10/22/did-blackwater-evade-taxes/#comment-166 Lubbock Left Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:15:19 +0000 http://lubbockleft.com/2007/10/22/did-blackwater-evade-taxes/#comment-166 I don't mean that we're less dependent on our fellow human beings -- we will always need each other. But, the relationships in the business world ARE changing. Contractors may still be on a "totem pole" of sorts, but it differs from the traditional "corporate ladder" that one traditionally climbs. Contractors are good for corporations because they are less expensive to hire and fire. At the same time, contractors have an easier relationship with corporations because they have the initiative to leave, raise their rates, negotiate the working conditions, etc. And yes, replacing the current businessman with another businessman isn't going to solve the problem of businesses performing inappropriate roles for government. That's why we need a president to put his or her foot down and keep the military a people's institution, not a private playground. I have great hope that the Democrats will run such a candidate for President. I don’t mean that we’re less dependent on our fellow human beings — we will always need each other. But, the relationships in the business world ARE changing. Contractors may still be on a “totem pole” of sorts, but it differs from the traditional “corporate ladder” that one traditionally climbs.

Contractors are good for corporations because they are less expensive to hire and fire. At the same time, contractors have an easier relationship with corporations because they have the initiative to leave, raise their rates, negotiate the working conditions, etc.

And yes, replacing the current businessman with another businessman isn’t going to solve the problem of businesses performing inappropriate roles for government. That’s why we need a president to put his or her foot down and keep the military a people’s institution, not a private playground.

I have great hope that the Democrats will run such a candidate for President.

]]> By: John Reeve http://lubbockleft.com/2007/10/22/did-blackwater-evade-taxes/#comment-164 John Reeve Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:43:57 +0000 http://lubbockleft.com/2007/10/22/did-blackwater-evade-taxes/#comment-164 "It’s a fact that our society’s workforce is moving to a more independent, less hierarchical form." Well, to me, it isn't any less hierchical, and we are not less dependant on the people around us. Independant contractors aren't any less on a totem pole of power than they were when they were employees. It is just that the responsibilities that empolyers have towards employees are being constantly and ever-more-rapidly eroded, to the point where the whole liability of working is placed on the employee. That is a great situation of corperations, because they have less and less risk in employing people. I don't think the jury is out on that at all- it sucks for all of us that work. We are forced to take up more and more liability and risks while corperations take up all the rewards. So when you ask "where does the buck stop when, say, a bunch of subcontracted mercenaries open fire on a crowd of civilizans," I disagree that this is a problem with the presidency. The bucks and bullets will only be stopping Iraq, which was the plan all along; that is capitalism-- taking the risks and giving them to the people while giving the rewards to capitalists. So while the bullets will stop in Bagdad, the bucks will be stopping at the corperations. That process is why replacing the current buisness guy (whose badness is only so amplified because he has closer ties to the businesses profiting from a destabilized Iraq than other capitalists) with another buisness president (which is basically the only kind the the Democrats will run) isn't going to solve anything; the only thing that is going to change anything is when the bullets start to follow those bucks back to the corperations. “It’s a fact that our society’s workforce is moving to a more independent, less hierarchical form.”

Well, to me, it isn’t any less hierchical, and we are not less dependant on the people around us. Independant contractors aren’t any less on a totem pole of power than they were when they were employees. It is just that the responsibilities that empolyers have towards employees are being constantly and ever-more-rapidly eroded, to the point where the whole liability of working is placed on the employee.

That is a great situation of corperations, because they have less and less risk in employing people. I don’t think the jury is out on that at all- it sucks for all of us that work. We are forced to take up more and more liability and risks while corperations take up all the rewards.

So when you ask “where does the buck stop when, say, a bunch of subcontracted mercenaries open fire on a crowd of civilizans,” I disagree that this is a problem with the presidency. The bucks and bullets will only be stopping Iraq, which was the plan all along; that is capitalism– taking the risks and giving them to the people while giving the rewards to capitalists. So while the bullets will stop in Bagdad, the bucks will be stopping at the corperations.

That process is why replacing the current buisness guy (whose badness is only so amplified because he has closer ties to the businesses profiting from a destabilized Iraq than other capitalists) with another buisness president (which is basically the only kind the the Democrats will run) isn’t going to solve anything; the only thing that is going to change anything is when the bullets start to follow those bucks back to the corperations.

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