The trade and economy mega-thread (3 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

Is there a trade deal with China? Is it really a deal or just a pull-back to status quo ante? Is Trump advancing US interests in this well-executed trade battle plan or was this poorly conceived from the start . . . and harmful?

I think the jury's still out, but I haven't seen that the Chinese are offering much in compromise - and it's not even clear if there's going to be an agreement. But it's clear they are working on something and I'm sure Trump will sell it as the greatest trade deal ever. The proof will be in the details.

 

[J-DONK]

I didn’t say it takes a back seat. In fact, I pointed out how those characteristics lead to an environment that naturally produces healthy profits and happy shareholders. Obviously you never had the opportunity to work at first rate principled corporations.

I have, and it was profit's above all. In fact, all of these companies corporate officers had a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of shareholders. Why don't you name these carebear C-suites?

Am I crazy, didn't you admit you retired 20-30 years ago?

 

[J-DONK]

Please. Governments objective is to grow. To survive. Business isn’t any different. Government’s objective is more government. More control. And it has to fund all that growth. All you need do is look at our growing national debt.

Then thought that governments that don’t work well get reorganized or eliminated is also laughable. Large bureaucracies in either the private sector or the public sector are notoriously hard to reorganize.

This is a funny post because it got both government's objective, and corporations wrong.

 

[bird]

In my 33 years of employment I worked for 4 fortune 100 companies (2 were fortune50). While profit is a clear motive, as it secures longevity, all 4 put primary emphasis on quality of product, value for price, consistency, value of the customer, corporate community responsibility, fairness, honesty and integrity. From that profit comes naturally.

Congratulations! You just listed 4 things used by corporations to push their sole purpose which is profit. It is pleasing to see that you understand profit is their sole purpose.

 

[Dragon]

Something interesting happens when a company doesn’t focus solely on profit.


The company I worked for before retiring had a strong social commitment—they hired people who faced challenges in holding a regular job due to disabilities. These employees were paid a normal wage, and in some cases, the state covered a set number of mentoring hours per week with a company employee.


About nine years ago, a young autistic man was hired as a database administrator through this program. A year later, he transitioned to a specialist role on regular terms, and today, the company would be in serious trouble if he left. He still receives accommodations for his condition—he has his own office and a "Do Not Disturb" sign he can activate when he needs to work undisturbed. But when it comes to databases, his expertise is undeniable.


Another example of my former employer’s ethical approach was how they handled the war in Ukraine. When the conflict broke out, they relocated all employees and their families from the Kyiv office. And when one of them chose to return to fight, the company continued paying his salary to support his family.


Why take such actions when they aren’t “profitable”? Because loyalty goes both ways. The company has many highly skilled IT specialists who frequently receive offers from competitors but choose to stay—largely due to the trust they have in the company and the ethical values it upholds, not just in words but in actions.