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> We are setting HP on a path to extend our global leadership and deliver the greatest value to customers and shareholders," CEO Meg Whitman said. Yeah, who ne

> We are setting HP on a path to extend our global leadership and deliver the greatest value to customers and shareholders," CEO Meg Whitman said. Yeah, who needs workers who toiled over the company, screw them. Yippee for capitalism.

protomyth 14y ago
At this point, I think calling this sort of thing "marketism" is more appropriate. This "do anything for the share price" mentality really isn't capitalism, it's slavery to the stock markets. These people are thinking of the next quarter, but should be thinking about the next decade. I cannot help but think the stock market is destroying these companies before their time. I really don't see a way for HP to recover at this point. They may have all the pieces, but the outside pressure is just unbelievable.
- edwinnathaniel 14y ago
  This is exactly why I feel happy to see how Zuck executed FB IPO. They got money in the bank for a long time, Zuck probably still have the biggest shares/voting right, Wall Street got punked before they can toy Zuck around and spit him for fun.
maxharris 14y ago
First, no one is owed a job any more than they are owed a date with a beautiful person, or a steak dinner. Employees are (should be) legally free to leave a job, and employers should be legally free to fire at will, for the same reason that romantic partners should be free. Second, those workers are paid for their efforts as long as they're employees. The word "toil" brings images of slave labor to mind, which is utterly inappropriate in this context. If a person is making less than the objective value of his labor is worth (that is, the market rate), he's free to stop "toiling" and get a better job, if he can find it. When the market changes, the company doesn't need some of its employees. The converse is also true: those employees don't need the company. What they need is to find another arrangement that can put them to the best use available, so that they are working toward a profitable goal (basic overlooked fact: employees are paid today on the expectation that what they do results in profits tomorrow).

protomyth 14y ago

At this point, I think calling this sort of thing "marketism" is more appropriate. This "do anything for the share price" mentality really isn't capitalism, it's slavery to the stock markets. These people are thinking of the next quarter, but should be thinking about the next decade. I cannot help but think the stock market is destroying these companies before their time. I really don't see a way for HP to recover at this point. They may have all the pieces, but the outside pressure is just unbelievable.

edwinnathaniel 14y ago
This is exactly why I feel happy to see how Zuck executed FB IPO. They got money in the bank for a long time, Zuck probably still have the biggest shares/voting right, Wall Street got punked before they can toy Zuck around and spit him for fun.

maxharris 14y ago

First, no one is owed a job any more than they are owed a date with a beautiful person, or a steak dinner. Employees are (should be) legally free to leave a job, and employers should be legally free to fire at will, for the same reason that romantic partners should be free. Second, those workers are paid for their efforts as long as they're employees. The word "toil" brings images of slave labor to mind, which is utterly inappropriate in this context. If a person is making less than the objective value of his labor is worth (that is, the market rate), he's free to stop "toiling" and get a better job, if he can find it. When the market changes, the company doesn't need some of its employees. The converse is also true: those employees don't need the company. What they need is to find another arrangement that can put them to the best use available, so that they are working toward a profitable goal (basic overlooked fact: employees are paid today on the expectation that what they do results in profits tomorrow).