Money drives you mad.
It seems to be human nature to convince yourself that if you are successful it is all your own work and nothing to do with anyone else. Let’s face it the rewards of success are so large these days that it is probably mentally difficult to accept that you might just be lucky or slightly above average or surrounded by idiots, or that the state you live in has deliberately set up an economic, political and social system designed to make it easier for you to succeed.
A few like Bill Gates admit that they would never have made it if they had not been lucky enough to live and work in the USA. The vast majority rip every cent they can out of the company, squeeze their workers, cut corners, dodge taxes and lobby for tax cuts for the already very wealthy and then give some money to a charity that they insist is named after them. They then expect to be lauded as giants among men. Well, lads and it nearly always is lads, the money is the reward and the recognition; get over yourselves.
Which brings us to the Post Office scandal and Boeing. One run by bean counting incompetents who it seems let their workers go to prison when they knew they might be innocent and one run by bean counting incompetents who decided that health and safety had gone too far and forced out the experienced experts who told them they were making dangerous planes.
The Post Office bosses were paid a small fortune to run a very small bank and still haven’t been charged with anything, while Boeing is now paying $32.8 million to its outgoing chief executive. A 45% rise when the company has gone from being a centre of world beating engineering excellence to one where the doors fall off, literally.
But one thing you will never hear is a mea culpa and an offer to repay some of the money. Because whatever the evidence, no matter how bad the scandal, how stupid the management, how inexcusable the cost cutting and how shameless the safety standards; they really believe that they were worth it.
What other possible explanation is there?
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media
Bill Gates is, coincidently, one of very few wealthy individuals who believe that the wealthy should pay more in taxation.