"The Greed Imperative".

[WhoseGeneration]

I missed this programme on BBC Radio 4 last Sunday.
However, I quote Barbara Stcherbatcheff, "Bankers have shown that we'll keep screwing over anyone we can unless there are laws to prevent us".
Horse's mouth?

[groucho]

Greed is fundamental to all species' surival.

HTH.

Edited by groucho on Monday 24th May 21:18

[fatvik]

Greed is good!

(common someone had to say it! )

[groucho]

It is certainly why we are, where we are now.

[SmoothRB]

groucho said:

Greed is fundamental to all species' surival.

HTH.

Edited by groucho on Monday 24th May 21:18

That is stupid; using a version of 'nature' to justify human moral choices.

[SmoothRB]

WhoseGeneration said:

I missed this programme on BBC Radio 4 last Sunday.
However, I quote Barbara Stcherbatcheff, "Bankers have shown that we'll keep screwing over anyone we can unless there are laws to prevent us".
Horse's mouth?

It's implicit in the idea of fractional reserve banking; banks charge interest on something that they never owned in the first place. Banking is parasitic and sucks wealth away until the economy collapses....or debt is nationalised anyway.

[WhoseGeneration]

groucho said:

Greed is fundamental to all species' surival.

HTH.

Edited by groucho on Monday 24th May 21:18

Really?
I had thought that others had told me that the Human species is co-operative.
Of course that might be aimed at survival of the Human species in general, rather than any individual therein?

[WhoseGeneration]

SmoothRB said:

WhoseGeneration said:

I missed this programme on BBC Radio 4 last Sunday.
However, I quote Barbara Stcherbatcheff, "Bankers have shown that we'll keep screwing over anyone we can unless there are laws to prevent us".
Horse's mouth?

It's implicit in the idea of fractional reserve banking; banks charge interest on something that they never owned in the first place. Banking is parasitic and sucks wealth away until the economy collapses....or debt is nationalised anyway.

So, there are none above Banks?
Thus, why do we not vote for which Banks are authorised?
If those politicians are so ineffectual with regard to the Banking system.

[the_smalls]

Give it a rest chaps - it's getting seriously boring now. I don't work for a bank and though there are those who deserve the reputation that 'bankers' have in the popular press (by the way, I'd love to hear the definition of 'banker'), there isn't one industry where every single individual is whiter than white. To paint everyone who happens to work for a bank with the same brush is prejudiced in the extreme - such generalisations are unhelpful and in my opinion, childish.

Edited by the_smalls on Monday 24th May 22:09

[Randy Winkman]

the_smalls said:

Give it a rest chaps - it's getting seriously boring now. I don't work for a bank and though there are those who deserve the reputation that 'bankers' have in the popular press (by the way, I'd love to hear the definition of 'banker'), there isn't one industry where every single individual is whiter than white. To paint everyone who happens to work for a bank with the same brush is prejudiced in the extreme - such generalisations are unhelpful and in my opinion, childish.

Edited by the_smalls on Monday 24th May 22:09

Also when the comments are aimed at the public sector and all the "non-jobs". Very boring.

[WhoseGeneration]

the_smalls said:

Give it a rest chaps - it's getting seriously boring now. I don't work for a bank and though there are those who deserve the reputation that 'bankers' have in the popular press (by the way, I'd love to hear the definition of 'banker'), there isn't one industry where every single individual is whiter than white. To paint everyone who happens to work for a bank with the same brush is prejudiced in the extreme - such generalisations are unhelpful and in my opinion, childish.

Edited by the_smalls on Monday 24th May 22:09

Sorry if I've offended you but I thought that this was worthy of discussion.
Let me elaborate.
Those of us who are, or who have been, involved in commerce, don't, mainly, try to "screw over" our customers, realising that repeat business from satisfied customers is more likely to lead to greater profit for us.
Oh well, perhaps I've been wrong all these years.

[ewenm]

It's more the continual repetition of "ALL bankers are out to screw people over", "ALL public sector employees are useless idiots in non-jobs" etc etc.

Applying some critical thought suggests that the media are unlikely to feature non-controversial people in news reports and documentaries - after all the media exist to sell programs and advertising, not to inform. Those sales improve with controversy, especially if that controversy tends to reinforce the views of the majority of the audience.

It's very fashionable to repeat the style of statements above - are they true? Patently not. Do they contain some grain of truth that has been heavily sensationalised? Probably.

[Magog]

SmoothRB said:

groucho said:

Greed is fundamental to all species' surival.

HTH.

Edited by groucho on Monday 24th May 21:18

That is stupid; using a version of 'nature' to justify human moral choices.

I think you'll find that we are as a species unquestionably part of nature, much as people will try and pretend that we are above it.

[Halb]

WhoseGeneration said:

I missed this programme on BBC Radio 4 last Sunday.
However, I quote Barbara Stcherbatcheff, "Bankers have shown that we'll keep screwing over anyone we can unless there are laws to prevent us".
Horse's mouth?

For bad or good, it is pat of our make-up. I think more enlightened humans are those that can step outside of our genes.
Our society allows it but progress has bne made in modern socity to try and kep it in check, unfortunately in the 80s it flourished and took a choke hold again.

I read a book aboot how the Christianity that eventually survived as a winner in the Cathar wars helped greed along. Can't remember which book it was.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharism#Consolament...

[BruceV8]

Magog said:

SmoothRB said:

groucho said:

Greed is fundamental to all species' surival.

HTH.

Edited by groucho on Monday 24th May 21:18

That is stupid; using a version of 'nature' to justify human moral choices.

I think you'll find that we are as a species unquestionably part of nature, much as people will try and pretend that we are above it.

It explains just about everything. Not sure about the word greed, but self interest is the most basic motivation. Its amazing what you can achieve when you appeal to it.

[ShadownINja]

I thought people buying st they don't need on the never never fked over this country.

[CobolMan]

ewenm said:

It's more the continual repetition of "ALL bankers are out to screw people over", "ALL public sector employees are useless idiots in non-jobs" etc etc.

Applying some critical thought suggests that the media are unlikely to feature non-controversial people in news reports and documentaries - after all the media exist to sell programs and advertising, not to inform. Those sales improve with controversy, especially if that controversy tends to reinforce the views of the majority of the audience.

It's very fashionable to repeat the style of statements above - are they true? Patently not. Do they contain some grain of truth that has been heavily sensationalised? Probably.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there ewenm, particularly with the comment about critical thought. It seems to me that the bulk of people in this country are now incapable of any critical thought and they take the 'path of least resistance' i.e. what the media tell them; now we all know that the media are totally unbiased don't we?

If you really want to see a commercial arena where the customer/client get royally screwed then perhaps the OP should look into Consultancy/Outsourcing.....

[Halb]

The lack of critical thought is what holds us back in many ways. If I have kids, it will be first on the agenda, that and how to clean the dishes

[WhoseGeneration]

CobolMan said:

If you really want to see a commercial arena where the customer/client get royally screwed then perhaps the OP should look into Consultancy/Outsourcing.....

Interesting that you mention Consultancy.
At lunch today I said to Mrs. WG, who, in her field, does undertake Consultancy work, that the only reason she can is because those she provides Consultancy to are not capable in their jobs.
She did not disagree.
So, does that not tell us something about organisations and their appointment practices?
Not cost efficient, I would suggest.
Outsourcing?
Depends what you mean by this.

[AJS-]

The trouble with "greed" is it's a loaded word.

Self interest is better - if you can get less for more you will. This is what motivates us to hunt, gather, farm, produce and progress, and indeed co-operate with others whose interests are alignned with our own.