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Businesses not propped up by the government, rely on profit and loss signals in order to best allocate resources. Government, funded by stolen tax dollars does not have these sgnals and blindly spends until budgets are dry, then comes sticking us up for more.
Private business must prove itself in the marketplace by providing goods and services to a willing consumer. The government runs monopolies and everyone pays regardless of need or level of services, so it need satisfy no one.
One really must be ignorant of basic economics to critique both on the same level..
Businesses not propped up by the government, rely on profit and loss signals in order to best allocate resources. Government, funded by stolen tax dollars does not have these sgnals and blindly spends until budgets are dry, then comes sticking us up for more.
Private business must prove itself in the marketplace by providing goods and services to a willing consumer. The government runs monopolies and everyone pays regardless of need or level of services, so it need satisfy no one.
One really must be ignorant of basic economics to critique both on the same level..
And you fail to notice the loss of the high tech industries to the Asians? You don't realize that was done by American Corporations optimizing short term profits and protecting income from taxes?
So the future of a huge section of the US economy goes down the tubes because US corps wanted short term profits at any cost?
You guys really don't know how much time and resources are wasted on a daily basis at *any* place of employment? Or that even Microsoft and Apple have issues with website and software roll-outs on time and without bugs?
It's not the President who 'doesn't get it' on this issue.
Last I heard it was still a voluntary decision to buy an Apple or a MS product. Maybe we should incorporate the democrats and the republicans and let them compete to run the country.
You guys really don't know how much time and resources are wasted on a daily basis at *any* place of employment? Or that even Microsoft and Apple have issues with website and software roll-outs on time and without bugs?
It's not the President who 'doesn't get it' on this issue.
Of course there is waste at businesses. But there is plenty of incentive to minimize it. Most businesses desire profit, which is best when waste is small. Most businesses cannot run at a deficit for very long. But the federal government can as long as it wants. Finally civil service protects employees far more from being fired than in any private sector job that is not unionized.
And you fail to notice the loss of the high tech industries to the Asians? You don't realize that was done by American Corporations optimizing short term profits and protecting income from taxes?
So the future of a huge section of the US economy goes down the tubes because US corps wanted short term profits at any cost?
Do you have a point? You havent addressed anything I pointed out in my post.
Boeing's failures have flowed from the top, not "evil unions" - those "evil unions" aren't the ones making the questionable decisions that can only be made at executive levels. Also, much of Boeing's white collar staff is not unionized, so it is also unfair to blame them, too.
But unlike almost any other company in America, much of Boeing's white collar staff IS unionized.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rambler123
The waste in government is no worse than that in the private sector. Some parts of the government are reasonably efficient, just as some companies are... other parts are terribly wasteful, just as some companies are.
Unless you've worked at one of the major Fed.Gov agencies you have no basis for making this statement. I have, and I can tell you it is VERY different.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rambler123
The reality is that people are people everywhere - I'm damn tired of this crackpot notion that people who work for the government are all "stupid" or "lazy" - and that efficiency or lack of it is based upon the corporate culture of the company or department... which is determined by the people in power, not some magical mindset that beliefs "business good, government bad."
People are people, but they are not all the same. The need to make a profit or go out of business is unique to the private sector, and is what creates the drive to be efficient in the private sector. That motivation simply does not exist in government, so waste is tolerated, even in some cases rewarded (the bigger the budget, the bigger the staff, the bigger the job becomes for those at the top of that agency). This creates the phenomena where agencies always seek a bigger budget year over year regardless of need. This environment then tends to attract people who are at the lazy end of the spectrum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rambler123
Finally, if anyone still thinks the private sector is some sainted hall of efficiency and doing things the right way, remember the Housing Bubble, the Bailouts, and the Great Recession (which still has really yet to end.)
The housing bubble was brought to you by regulatory decisions made during the Clinton era, coupled with intransigence from Democrats in Congress who blocked attempts by Republicans to reform Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac. This in large part led to the recession.
The bailouts were not the result of inefficiency in the private sector. They were the result of poor risk analysis in the private sector, and those companies should have been allowed to fail IMO.
The private sector is not perfectly efficient - I never said is was. But you're going to have to explain how private sector inefficiency leads to recessions.
I have seen quite well run federal operations. I have also seen some miserable major corporations. A corporation may well sit on a dying and money losing operation for years as long as it is concealed by other profitable ones. I have also watched start ups run for a decade without turning a profit.
Again the problem with the corporation is inevitably the time frame. They optimize for the next quarter and year. Governments can take a some what longer view. That is a very large advantage to government.
And sometimes corporations just screw the pooch. Ever really look at Boeing and the 787? The classical "all you go to do is" approach on a grand scale. They were correct in one way...they eliminated a lot of the old problems...and created a whole new set that turned the development into a virtual disaster.
"I have seen quite well run federal operations. I have also seen some miserable major corporations", then you go on to cite only ONE project.
What did the company do with the hundreds of OTHER projects?
The private sector has MORE well run projects the the fed does. Hell, some complete agencies are wrought with waste, fraud, and abuse.
It is a bit of a stretch (sarcasm) to compare a few "federal operations" to an entire "major corporations".
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