Corporate Greed

Addressing the Social Welfare vs. Self Interest in the Business World
by Neal R. Karski

Pause for a second, and think about the world today. The pace of money circulation standardized the time schedules of our lives and embedded each and every one of us as part of the system. This system we call the “business world”. The business week, allocated for work, and the weekend, allocated for leisure. Now, think of the direction and the schooling that you are pursuing, your current or future career, and the company you happen to be a part of. Then, stray softly to assign a location of each on the spectrum of social vs. self interest, or what is in known in terms of philosophy as the utilitarianism vs. ethical egoism range. Where do you stand? Where do the rest? Is this desirable?

This said, at this day and age we have seen an immense economic growth of companies on the global platform. Business has become an international phenomenon dependent on people’s decisions in how to allocate resources in the most efficient way and to obtain the greatest returns in forms of profit (money, wealth, capital, power). The world of commerce has become so competitive that it began to overlook many needs of those which are not part of this “race”. The continuous managerial agenda developed tasks and goals for years to come with little consideration for the issues faced by struggling nations or impoverished families surrounding these industrial giants. Efficiency, although, as taught by economics, speaks of the maximized welfare of all of those participating in the economy. Yet, as the greed of the business owners grows and bureaucratic interest reaches a sole focus of obtaining the most “opportunities,” such as wealth and power, the term of efficiency takes on a different meaning.

It is easy to criticize businesses or governments that do not align themselves with our viewpoints. But sometimes, it is somewhat refreshing and enlightening to stop your daily activities and take a look around at the domestic and international events to educate yourself and build upon your already existing base of knowledge and judgment.

Corporate greed has become a trend in the business world as large corporations and monopolies strove to eradicate small businesses and squash any competition or political action they faced. Many of us, despite the values we hold, may not have a choice but to be hired by such companies as we plan to pursue our further careers or employment opportunities in finance, advertising, marketing, writing, sports, public relations, etc. Often, we may also not realize or simply don’t care to foster any emotional or logical examinations of our own nature or the nature of the businesses. In reality, money is at the core of all commerce and it appears that philanthropy and altruism are just not powerful enough to change the ways in which we think and perceive the true necessities of our lives.

As I was having this discussion with a dear friend of mine last night, I was enlightened by a quote from Jimi Hendrix that she shared with me, and it stated:

“The world will never be at peace until the power of love overcomes the love of power.”

Corporate Greed – a Study in Tints and Shades

by George A. Miu

There is a timeless filter that humanity employs in analyzing and justifying or criticizing their collective actions. In the age of instantaneous communication and globalization, exponential growth and worldwide expansion is no longer an illusion of the megalomaniac, but rather an attainable target. How does this potential for unchecked growth affect the rest of us? Applying the filter depicted above, one can study the situation in one of two ways:

- A Study in Scarlet (Shade):

A transitory glance inside the lives of the inhabitants of the world illustrates the modern version of mercantilism. The sweat shop worker in China, the underpaid forestry expert in my native Romania, and the exhausted-yet-laboring 60-hour-a-week waiter at the local pizzeria, are all personal, observed, examples of a crooked scale in which the collective and under-appreciated efforts of many are used so as to channel money to few over-hyped executives. Untold masses of workers, ultimately, provide a handful of us with the opportunities to drive a Mercedes instead of a Honda, or floor our kitchens with Italian marble instead of linoleum.

On a universal level, it is clear that, in the twenty-first century, it is wrong to partake in heaping rich rewards upon few, in exchange for the disproportionate financial and social snubbing of many. This is a facet of corporate greed that reflects darkly unto us, and yet is not without its merits, noted below:

- A Study in Rosy (Tint):

The aforementioned fortunate few have the capacity for, and often are involved in, works of philanthropy. Universities such as the one I attend could not keep their doors open, in order to educate legions of people, if it were not for the charity of accomplished alumni. A world in which all resources were distributed perfectly amongst individuals would leave no place for successful social institutions, unless people opted to markedly sacrifice their quality of life in return for giving to an establishment. It is historically proven that previous attempts at allocating the collective wealth have brought all of the constituents of a society to the lower common denominators, and not the highest. Therefore, one can take the position that, without corporate greed and the drive to earn above and beyond what one could ever spend has catalyzed the rise of social institutions that are well taken care of. This is a brighter hypothesis, that paints humanity as far more altruistic than the Study in Scarlet.

This apparent contradiction is a topic of much debate, when it comes to discussions over how much our current corporate system can be changed. Are we willing to bolster the livelihoods of faceless and nameless people, perhaps at the expense of social organizations? Is that even a relevant question? Can one reconcile this apparent paradox? The floor is, as always, open for debate.

Doctors in Our Society: Life Savers or Businessmen?

Doctors in Our Society: Life Savers or Businessmen?
by Neal R. Karski

Thus we arrive at the subjects of health care, medicine, doctors, health insurance, etc. In the United States, at current times, the above stated are very significant issues, politically and socially. With the continuing health care debate and political quarrels regarding who should get what in a justified manner, contemporary doctors are now pressured into making important choices. And not only will the health care professional ponder about the income he or she makes, but the moral and ethical decisions that are carried out.

The medical field, which requires a lot of schooling, experience and responsibility, is now much more competitive and the room for error is even smaller. Many more college students are taking on the challenge of extensive curriculums to “become doctors, obtain Ph.D.’s and acquire pre-fixes”. This said, plenty of doctors are forced to take measures they’re not accustomed to, to develop relationships with their patients (think customer loyalty) or simply seek excessive treatments and repetitive office appointments to culminate as much revenue as possible. Just take a second to think about it yourself… sounds familiar?

I will now attempt to distinguish between the two of types of doctors, briefly and to the best of my mental abilities.

The Life Savers

I’ve once had my doctor cook up a three month prescription for one of my medications to prevent re-occurring charges for trivial 15-minute “maintenance” appointments. This showed me that instead of re-scheduling me monthly and adding on the bill, the doctor was rather more concerned about my well being, not the cash outflow from my pocket. I’ve had many experiences with doctors, both positive and negative, and I was able to pinpoint the differences between the ones who truly cared about fulfilling the rightful duties of their professions, and those who were solely after their self-interest. The Life Savers are doctors who know and understand the pain their patients go through… and are inspired by their ethics and goals to cure and treat the illnesses that those patients are faced with. They are the heroes of our society, who regardless of patients possessing low or high quality insurance; strive to help out of satisfaction for making others’ lives better. The money comes in regardless, from a plethora of sources, when the number of patients is consistent and the doctors retain high ratings and positive review scores. The Life Savers are doctors that can be characterized as trustworthy, reliable and communicate intently to foster a healthy relationship with their patients.

The Businessmen

Doctors… or money-making, money-hungry machines? Take your pick. The competitive industry, as I said before, has forced the doctors to look more closely at their financial pools and expunge more costs out of their patients. But not all of the doctors did so, just the Businessmen who decided their revenues from the medical profession are the top priority over their patients’ complex cases of illnesses, diseases and injuries. The Businessmen will use trickery and persistence to ensure the patient returns to their office as frequent as possible, on the pretense that the follow-up appointments are necessary regardless of the patient’s condition. They are at times entangled in the corporate scandals, bureaucratic conspiracies and may be involved in contingent agreements with hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers, who pay them “commission”. These Businessmen are not doctors; they’re vultures that are waiting for patients and illnesses to arrive at their doorstep and bring them yet another treasure chest of material value, not a human being’s joy of being healthy.

My advice: Next time that one should pick a doctor or continue to see one, there is much room for prior analysis and research to pick the right one.

God Bless Friends

Doctors in America – Honorable Healers or Harbingers of Hoaxes?
by George A. Miu

There is no grandiose secretive veil surrounding the fact that an “MD” suffix is equivalent to a comfortable financial life in the United States, where a six-figure salary is all-but-guaranteed. Nowadays, it seems like all of the obstacles that an aspiring doctor must overcome are mere necessary sacrifices in the hunt for riches and prestige. This mindset is tearing our nation apart and has the potential to cause harm to a great deal of people.

Nevertheless, there are many devoted health professionals out there, whose career choice had nothing to do with money, and who ought to be praised by the rest of us. Sadly, the practice of putting on a humane face, declaring an undying love for medicine, and laughing all the way to the bank, is an increasingly common one. At least this is how masses of “pre-med” undergrads, situated in colleges all over creation, regard the status quo.

This is folly! Besides the obvious risks involved in terms of medical competency, we are gradually inching towards ushering in a generation of doctors who lack the devotion and selflessness that their forefathers took for granted, even if the expertise is intact.

Suppose that ObamaCare, the insurance “overhaul” that has just been passed in congress, saves the government money, as we are being led to believe; this necessarily entails that medical professionals pocket less. In that case, I smell an exodus, which will result in shortages of doctors the likes of which have never been seen in first world countries.

On the other hand, suppose that Obama et comp are wrong, and that the new system will actually bankrupt America. Consequently, doctors will be rolling around in money, but the profession will lose the luster that attracts so many honest people towards it. This will, of course, result in shortages of doctors the likes which have never been seen … well you get the point.

I am certain that there are scores of fine doctors out there, who are being overworked and under-appreciated. By making the process of education so mercenary, we are opening the door for opportunists, glory-seekers and greedy-types, who have no business being in the industry, and who go against the philosophy instilled by the honest individuals I have just praised. The harbingers of hoaxes are well on their way to overrunning the honest healers, and transforming one of the most crucial professions in society into a financial game. No civilized society must allow this to come to pass.

So, I encourage all of us to take action and plead with one another so that we may stop propagating megalomaniacal doctor-stereotypes, in which we fantasize of easy money in exchange for little work and much glory. I ask medical schools to reduce the classroom requirements (but not too drastically) in favor of extended volunteer time in clinical settings, and not laboratories. Finally, I ask all who are involved in the process of guiding individuals towards medical school to be more discerning in their assessments of who is truly enamored with the profession, and who is doing it for ulterior motives. The signs will always be there for those who seek them out. Drop the algorithm, and bring back the human elements in the admissions processes. Then, maybe we’ll even be healthy enough to give ourselves a pat on the back when we’re older.