3 ms·

Maybe this is just idealizing the past but it used to feel like for the most part people wanted to be good and do good work and play fair. Some people were cut

by jayd16 2y ago

Maybe this is just idealizing the past but it used to feel like for the most part people wanted to be good and do good work and play fair. Some people were cutthroat vultures but it was distasteful and you would see pushback. These days it's expected. Doing good isn't even in the discussion unless it's being cynically mocked. Evading taxes? That makes you smart... Even being devoted to your work is conflated with being exploited by your employer, and with the way things are it's understandable. I hope we see some idealism return to American industry. It'll take a reversal of the plundering of the middle class.

soulbadguy 2y ago
> Maybe this is just idealizing the past but it used to feel like for the most part people wanted to be good and do good work and play fair. Some people were cutthroat vultures but it was distasteful and you would see pushback. It seems that in the past things where somewhat different. The sole focus on maximizing shareholder value is something that happened quite recently. A lot of people trace that to Jack Welch who took over General Electric in the 80's I highly recommend https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Broke-Capitalism-America_and/dp/198217644X https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Broke-Capitalism-America_and/... if you are curious about it.The book documents well the transformation which gave us the modern version of US companies.
- throwup238 2y ago
  Jack Welch was an unrelated sideshow. The biggest change was the development of "shareholder primacy" which very quickly became dogma in the business world: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=63145 https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=63145