David Brooks on American Capitalism

Did this guy suffer a brain injury?

A recent op-ed by NY Times columnist, David Brooks, asserts that “Forty years ago, corporate America was bloated, sluggish, and losing ground to competitors in Japan and beyond.” However, the rise of private equity firms and “bare-knuckled corporate executives” contributed to structural changes from which “American businesses emerged leaner, quicker, and more efficient” even though the “process was brutal and involved streamlining and layoffs” (1).

www.counterpunch.org

labor is simply another "cost" to be whittled down, the company also does not take into account any "cost" outside its very limited and narrow liability......

the US government absorbed the "cost savings" of a dismantled pension system by law.....all of these costs which are the true cost of doing business are not even considered....no wonder free market stuff sometimes makes cash......

And what should it be considered?

by tristen303 Today at 1:03 am

"""And what should it be considered?""".

considering humans as a cost is fine if you include all the cost..

lets look back 100 years or so...a company creates toxic chemicals and just dumps them and bulldozes dirt over them...

the chemicals leach out into the surrounding area create sickness and premature loss of life....

we have environmental regulations in place now that try to curtail such business practice which also force business to go outside the country

those same sicknesses now occur "not in my backyard" anyway but those other people now are effected, even though they are temporaraly relieved to have a job and a higher standard of living untill they demand better wages and the global corporations go to the next third world country...

I dont have an answer....just saying we dont even know all the cost involved in the things we do....there are always hidden cost....and also perhaps hidden benefits as well

i doubt if anybody alive now can remeber a time before automobiles when horses in the inner city were responsible for a lot of death and disease and filth....we are quick to condem the automobile but i doubt we want back horses and harseshi*.....