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Mar. 28, 2005 Most Americans are believers in what comes around, goes around. They want to believe that everyone around them is out to make this world better and will do all they can so we live in a equitabler society where everyone who choses to contribute gets ahead. Sadly, this is not even close to the truth. As Americans jump up and down, ranting about how bad things are getting, we are beginning to realize that our voices are not being heard. Sure, we have small victories here and there, like some corporation or politician being caught red-handed but, far too often, these mask the true bigger issues that affect us all. when I think about the argument for things like personal social security accounts, damage limitations for medical malpractice or drilling in the Artic Wildlife Refuge, I realize these are not equitable to the consumer but to the provider. Corporations, as a whole, are not evil nor bad. It is those that choose to abuse their privilege, such as software giant Microsoft or Enron, that makes me worried. Unfettered, these companies create their own rules because no one is there to stop them. How bad did it get with Enron before the public took notice? How many billions were lost by consumers and employees alike before the truth came out? With Microsoft, while we all seem to use their products, we don't really hear about, or choose to ignore, the unsportsman-like practices that they get away with constantly. It all started with the day Bill Gates was invited to develop software for Apple Computers. When Gates was given working models of the Macintosh computer, he essentially pirated everything he could to make his first operating system, Windows. Over time, as the reach of Microsoft grew, the company would begin to include programs in their system that would essential destroy the competition. Remember Netscape? It used to be the number one Web browser on the market. When Windows 95 came with a free copy of Internet Explorer, it made it easier for Microsoft to dominate the market. Essentially, why would a consumer remove Internet Explorer and purchase Netscape? The two biggest industries that seem to be only committed to themselves are the oil industry and the insurance industry. It always seems that you never hear about the two losing money or really ever passing the savings onto the consumer. With legislation being passed that would limit damage award settlements to $250,000 in medical malpractice, you will only really see the insurance company saving money. The consumer, both the patient and the physician, will not see the savings. In fact, in states that already have damage limits, doctors do not pay any less that states without caps. And consumers are being bilked because they have seen their premiums become a larger and larger part of their total income. Oil companies do not pass their savings onto the consumer. In fact, if they have an unforeseen incident, they tend to raise their prices. The cost of doing business goes to the consumer. If a pipeline ruptures in Texas, be sure to look at the prices at the pump. We cannot blame OPEC for all of the problems. As Americans, we must tip our hats to the corporations. They are the major source of employment, they keep our prices at the retail stores down and they make sure we do not become a true third-world country. But before we get all sentimental and decide that we let them fully run our lives, we need to start speaking up and using our spending dollar to send a message. If you do not want your job outsourced or want to see your city turn into a ghost town, we all need to realize that we cannot be as selfish with our lives. We cannot get caught up in the "have it all, have it now" ideas that are essentially creating our country's problems. By taking little steps now, we can begin to insure a better tomorrow not just for ourselves, but our future generations. We need to become more aware of what they corner store means or what a local company does. We need to look at the labels and see where things are made and not avoid them totally but try to find alternates that make sure Americans work. We need to talk to our politicians or join movements that support keeping our communities together rather than having them become corporate feeding grounds. Then, and only then, can we truly understand what it once meant to be an American. ------------ About the author: Nicholas Olson is a long-time journalist who has been a columnist at his college newspaper and is currently a military journalist. Email: nicholasjolson@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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