Mr. G-Man Goes to Wall Street

I finally dove right in, full body and skinny-dippered, to Facebook.  I had held back from the social media front for some time but my kids chided me into getting into the new century.  Tough to hear for a technology guy but I have sucked it up and submersed myself.

I joined a few groups that are basically of an alumni nature- old schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, etc.  All good and actually fun if an amazing time sink.  Great memories that often serve to highlight how much life has gone by.  Sad in a way but, hey, get ready for it- that’s life!

The issue that I have is that on the SM sites (feel free to use that by the way) the kimonos fly open to reveal the true nature of people- some just a little, others quite a lot.  I guess they feel that they are older or they are safe behind the keyboard (like me, here) or maybe they have always secretly wanted to incite a hyperspace riot.  Dunno, but it is all that I can do to refrain from responding in kind.

This morning, by way of a perfect example, an old acquaintance who I used to have a good deal more respect for shared a piece from his liberal armory that basically decried the compensation of corporate CEO’s.  This is fair enough as I tend to agree but I also happen to think that the system should be allowed to correct itself.  Stockholders have to get more active in terms of voting for the board and the board needs to set more reasonable compensation plans for the top execs.  If they get paid a ton and the company does well and we continue to hold or buy the stock then who is to say it should be changed?  What really irks me is the generous release packages (the so-called “golden parachutes”) that are rewarded even in the aftermath of total failure.  This is the real problem.  I am fine with pay for performance as part of a generous incentive package.  Pay for performance…and whatever…I am not so okay with.

The issue I have with this guy’s posting is that he implies the government helps big biz at the expense of the poor.  Really?  Who “creates or saves” more jobs?  Who helps to achieve (I used that word on purpose) more wealth for invested individuals and also for working folks who have things like pensions and 401k’s tied to the performance of that company and the market?  How does the government compare here?

How come these liberals don’t complain against the uber-rich like Gates & Soros & Buffet?  Did they somehow work harder for their billions than some of the current big-time CEOs worked for their millions?  How about the Hollywood actors and pro athletes?  How about The Oprah?  C’mon.

Ok so here is a new experiment.

Let’s make our political leaders, who mostly have no business experience, take rather-permanent leave from their very challenging jobs of glad-handing, practicing patronage, and otherwise working hard to just stay in office.  Take 50% of their salaries and put it into an interest-bearing account in some socialist country like France- just to keep it safe from the evil, capitalist money-horders and baby-killers (oops, got that last one backwards but you get the point) running roughshod in the good ole USA.

Take your pick of top corp execs so that the numbers are equal.  Do likewise with their salaries.

Now, have the biz guys move into the government and have the DC guys and gals move in the business world.  Sit back and then hit the GO button.  Let’s watch.

How long before the DC folks screw up their companies and send the market into a downward spiral nothing like has ever been seen before?  And with that goes the wealth of all those nasty capital investment barons, the group investment capital for numerous company and school and even government retirement investment plans like pensions funds and 401ks, the jobs associated with those companies (maybe just a few million or so) and the lives and livelihoods of all those people…and their spouses…and their children…and their favorite charities,,,.  My oh my, who will save them Dudley?

How long before the business guys manage to get the government into better shape given that their pay is to be a LOT lower than anything they had seen since maybe their early twenties AND (I forgot to say this) given that they are on an incentive plan that will allow them to moderately enhance their take-home pay if they do good.

I would think this could all be accomplished in 1-2 years tops.

Oh yeah, the final part.

Once big biz and the markets are sunk and millions upon millions have seen their savings and investments go poof and their jobs go poof as well; once the government becomes more effective and efficient (not hard given where it is at now); once that is all in place the Man can then step in and really take over everything and everyone once and for all.

We will then have managed to reach that socialist nirvana that these progressive liberals have worked so diligently behind their keyboards, inside their condos and penthouses within their gated communes of like-thinkers, to achieve.

Way to go!  We are all socialist paupers then.  But at least all that nasty capitalism is gone and we have a government that will take care of us, provide our bread and water, for ever and ever and ever.

Amen.