Should businesses care more about America or profit?

Question

it seems that many businesses are only concerned about profit... is this a healthy attitude?

what if everyone in America was only concerned about profit? It would be a horrible place to live...

and why do people that talk about patriotism, not seem to mind when a country leaves the U.S. to go to China? Isn't that blatantly anti-American?

damndirtyape212: one man can't do much by himself... but a man and a few buddies have changed the world many times... maybe I'm just looking for a few buddies...

EDIT: I did mean business instead of country in the last sentence... sorry

BoredLawyer: so what you're saying is... it's the governments job to keep businesses from acting immorally... or illegally at least (of course legality is determined by the government)...

yet so many people think that business shouldn't be regulated at all and it should be a completely free market... and you seem to be saying that these people are naive about the role of government in business... and that there needs to be, if anything, more laws to protect the people...

interesting... I'm not that familiar with the legal side of the issue...

C J: isn't that in essence... immoral... you say that they should only care about proft... then that's profit over everything else... sounds like a very dangerous attitude to have

Bethie: I'm not so sure it's the "U.S. work ethic" but instead the same senario that we are seeing with our companies... in other words... we are cheap labor to them... most of those companies are Jappanese and they pay a lot and they have to ship their products... so making them here, they pay less and have no real shipping costs...

Answer 1

Unfortunately, corporations have a legal obligation to try to maximize profits for their shareholders. It is basically the purpose for which the laws allow corporations to be formed. In fact, when corporations fail to maximize profit even in relatively small ways, they are generally sued by their own shareholders, in a shareholder derivative lawsuit, which basically says that the corporation failed to live up to its one and only purpose: make money for the owners. Therefore, blaming corporations for mindlessly pursuing profits is to mislay the responsibility. It is like blaming a gun for killing someone while ignoring the maniac who fired it.

When American business has been a problem for American workers in the past, it has always been because our government permitted it to occur. When our government permits such things to occur, it is because our people permit the government to do so. The blame, to paraphrase Shakespeare, lies not in our corporations, but in ourselves.

Answer 2

Well, both. IF the company doesn't worry about it's bottom line they would have no company in which to employ people. If a company treats it's worker poorly, they have a high turn over rate and that is costly to the business. Basically, cutting their own throats.
As far as "jobs going to China", have you noticed that a lot of foreign companies are moving here because we have a great work ethic. Sony, Toyota, Nissan, just for example. Another example is that Heinz moved some of their packing industries to the countries in which they were buying their produce. This meant that the company could offer a better product because of the freshness of the produce.
A lot of times it comes down to demand from the consumer market. Let's take the Heinz example, do you want to pay $2 a bottle for ketchup or $7? I am betting on $2 and so did Heinz. One last question, when was the last time a poor person signed your paycheck?

Answer 3

Businesses should ONLY be concerned about profit. The Government should be concerned about the quality of life of Americans. The Government should use its power to regulate business. That is part of the ideals that started the progressive movement.

I assume you meant business instead of "country" in the second to the last sentence of your question so I will answer that as if you meant business. Yes, it is blatantly anti-American as a business to take your jobs to another country. You must remember however, the purpose of Business is not to promote America, it is to make a profit for the owners or the business would not exist. That is why so many business owners hate the IRS, and Congress, and other members of Government- because they cost the businesses money. However, when Business is in bed with the Government, the people of a nation must be weary, because they have taken a back seat as citizens behind businesses that pay to promote politicians in elections.

Yes, as a voter, you are a second class citizen, because the paying customer is the business that donated to the political campaign of a politician. The politicians always try and please the highest paying customer and try to make it seem like they are helping the people. The best one to accomplish that illusion of helping the people wins.

Answer 4

You meant when a COMPANY leaves the US to go to China.

Business is by definition about making a profit, without profits the Company cannot progress, thus they tend to stagnate and eventually lose their place in the market.

Now, when any Manufacturing Company leaves the US & re-locates in China several things happen.
1) The cost of production goes down.
2) the Profit goes up.
3) there is a loss to the US because workers are laid off.
4) there is a loss to the US as the laid off workers can no longer pay their taxes.
Eventually the loss to the US will become catastophic but before that happens there is something you, I, everyone else can do,
Namely we can refuse to buy anything made in China.
We should do this because although the american product made in the US may be more expensive but the quality is far better.
If enough people were to do this then perhaps those Company's that have re- located to China may return.

Answer 5

the callousness of big business toward american citizens will be the downfall of this country.and since the govt has its hand in the pocket of big business it could care less -

Answer 6

Big business would sell its own mother for a dollar.

Answer 7

the people and the country. the dollar is going to be usa's downfall.

Answer 8

What are YOU doing about it?

Don't worry about anyone else, if you feel that strongly about it then you do something about it.