For example, big oil companies that sabotage the development of alternatives to oil. Other examples?
2007-03-13 13:22:54 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Economics
This is not a phenomenon unique to the United States. The greed of the corporatists is doing more than preventing progress; it is destroying the very biosphere.
How about Monsanto, and other corporations that have genetically modified seeds that do not produce seeds, so the farmer MUST buy seed every year. While these plants cross pollinate and corrupt native stocks our very food supply is attacked for the benefit of a few.
How about all the corporations that deny any human involvement in climate change? We are using so much energy that our planet glows in the void like it was on fire, and boiling our own atmosphere faster than the heat can escape into space.
When the last prole drowns like yeast in his own excrement, these swine will be arguing over why sales are down.
2007-03-13 13:35:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
Here you are using computer technology and the Internet -would not exists without those evil rich - to talk about rich people stopping development.
How are the oil companies stopping you from developing alternative fuels?
How do you think those evil rich got rich in the first place - by doing nothing.
What slows down progress in the USA?
People like you who waste whatever talent they have hating rich people and formulating conspiracies.
Once again, the use of the word greed is not an economic term. It is a term used by emotional people.
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2007-03-13 20:54:41 · answer #2 · answered by Zak 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good grief, the greedy rich don't prevent progress and they don't slow it down -- they are the very ones who create and enable the progress. That's how they got rich, and that's how they try to become richer.
They provide the capital in "capitalism"; the start and fund the companies; they endow the universities. If you are a clever energetic person with a good idea, your effort to improve the world with your idea starts with you going to a rich venture capitalist and asking for money.
It's fair to say that the rich are about 99% responsible for all progress, and the other 1% comes from greedy non-rich people who are not rich yet but who desperately want to be.
2007-03-13 20:53:04 · answer #3 · answered by KevinStud99 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The rich don't prevent progress, they just slow it down. A company could make profits selling version 1.0 this year and then version 2.0 with all the necessary patches and upgrades next year but, there is more profit in selling version 1.0 this year, version 1.5 with some patches and upgrades next year and then version 1.9 with even more patches and upgrades the year after that. Then, in the 4th year, you finally get version 2.0. Two years after it should have been out. This gives the company the chance to do the R&D for 2 products but sell 4 products instead. And if version 2.0 is delayed a few years, they don't care because they made more money.
A previous poster said that the rich create jobs. This is not true. The middle class creates jobs by driving the demand for products. Without the demand, nothing would get made. If nothing gets made, there won't be any jobs. The rich, if anything, take jobs away. Don't believe me? Well, just look at all the companies that are laying off people.
2007-03-13 20:41:24 · answer #4 · answered by Bob 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
No. We wouldn't have Microsoft Word, if Bill Gates wasn't interested in making a profit. We wouldn't have cars, TVs, and wind turbines if people weren't interested in money.
I'm not sure why you point to oil.... Everyone seems to be buying and driving gas-guzzling SUVs. It's not just rich people that are consuming oil.
2007-03-13 21:23:04 · answer #5 · answered by Allan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The greedy rich tend to CAUSE progress in the USA.
The lazy rich tend to impede it, i.e. companies that have an embedded interest in the current system. Actually, the lazy anyone tends to impede it.
2007-03-13 23:28:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on what you consider to be progress. The rich are certainly not impeding their own progress.
2007-03-13 20:30:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, the rich make jobs and build progress, the poor only drain the country.
2007-03-13 20:30:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
No, IMO they do not PREVENT it. But they sure seem to try to DIRECT it to their own advantage. It is too bad that helping the world is so uncool right now.
I am sure that money and fame also directed Edison, Marconi, et al, but they sure seemed to have been more people friendly!
2007-03-13 20:35:23 · answer #9 · answered by woundbyte 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
By continuing to innovate, making it difficult for people of average intelligence with no drive and ambition to get ahead.
2007-03-13 20:30:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋