I'll try to refrain from a political diatribe...but this stuff makes my blood boil. It's all about sustainability and *reasonable* profit expectations. As others have mentioned, it's a race to the bottom in most businesses and if unchecked, our economic system will ultimately implode on itself. Costs can not be cut indefinitely...profits can not increase every year, and market share can not increase at the expense of ones competition every quarter. The ownership and BOD of most big businesses are seemingly unable to grasp that concept. Sustainable and fair is not in their vocabulary, nor were they hired to do anything other than make more money with less cost. In their minds it would seem that if we aren't more efficient and gaining market share every year, then we are 'losing' and sacrifices will have to be made. The tired line we hear over and over to justify their actions is their 'responsibility to the shareholders'. The banks are famous for this...oh, we only made 6 billion instead of the projected 7 billion...so we'll have to lay off a bunch of people and those who remain will pick up the slack be happy to have a job or be fired and replaced with a lackie-boot-licker at half the salary. There is no loyalty to the tenured employee anymore. In fact, the more tenured, the more of a liability you are it would seem in this new age of cut-throat cost cutting and shaving corners. Sure, that'll keep the shareholders happy. This is especially scary in companies where safety and security is paramount. I include not only aviation, but power generation, public transport, etc. Nobody wants big Government, but I just feel we can't trust big business in any industry to attain what is required for a sustainable economy and keep everyone's best interests in mind. Rant mode off and I'm dusting off my Lenin hat
