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Create More Poor Then Crush 'Em

Written by: Steve Chittenden

Article Overview: There is nothing wrong with success. Just because a company gets very large does not mean they are evil. But, what about those who are? What can you do when they get arrogant, and use their power to crush everyone who gets in their way?

Create More Poor Then Crush 'Em

Anyone familiar with the book of Proverbs knows that it has a lot to say about the everyday issues of life, including things said about the poor. In Proverbs 14:31 of the Bible, we find that anyone who oppresses the poor shows contempt for God their Maker. Certainly, only someone truly cold hearted would systematically oppress them.

The problem with the poor being oppressed has been with us since the beginning of time. The only difference now is that those who are on the leading edge of this oppression can recruit the help of unsuspecting participants who do not realize they are helping in an evil scheme. They may even refuse to believe it if they are told because no decent person would want to do that.

Suppose this were actually happening. What if millions of people were unintentionally participating in something that could undermine our economic system? What if it was taking advantage of poor people while driving even more people to poverty in its wake? Chances are, anyone who tried to sound an alarm would be considered a paranoid extremist.

Allow me to illustrate the world's wisdom, the exact opposite of God's wisdom, with something I learned in a marketing class. I strongly disagree with this, but it is what I was taught. In marketing, you seek to identify trends. That's good, I agree with that. You don't cast moral judgement on trends, don't try to sort out right from wrong, just sell, sell, sell. It may not have been put in those exact terms, but that was the gist of it. I choose God's wisdom and disagree, but folly is a driving force in modern marketing.

For this reason, we have an abundance of predatory lenders. They set people up to fail and specifically target the poor. But that's supposedly OK, because the people they are taking advantage of want instant gratification and easy money. They are filling a need in the market by giving people what they want without regard for whether they can really afford it or not.

If I told you right now that I am a marketing guy, that might surprise you with what I just said about the industry. Marketing is not the problem. Marketing without morality is the problem. Corporate greed and scandals have had significant news coverage in recent years, but the world system is too blind to actually learn anything from it.

One thing all con artists have in common is they have learned to play up on natural human desires and use them to their advantage. Unfortunately, marketing has sometimes become more of a con game which is bad for the industry, but also bad for the market itself.

Our generation has witnessed the rise of mega retailers. Some are good, some bad, and at least one started out as a discount store with a noble purpose. Somewhere along the way, many became power hungry. Their clout and tactics propelled them to the top of what has become a dung heap. This is not an attack on size or success. There is nothing wrong with being big and successful.

The problem is some have taken a leadership role to oppress the poor and systematically destroy many other businesses. It goes beyond a healthy competitive spirit, they conduct themselves as a playground bully, and they have led others to believe this is the way to succeed. This compounds the problem as they lead by a bad example.

Should this surprise people with spiritual insight? Absolutely not! The sad thing is that good people are being taken in because the marketing plays up on natural human desires. Even those who can see what's going on sometimes participate as if their little contribution won't make much difference. If hundreds of thousands of people have that attitude, it makes a huge difference.

This marketing trend has spawned both critics and defenders. I have kept an open mind for the defense, but as I review the case, defenders appear isolated from the working class as they sit well fed and well paid, making their defense for Goliath while they have no idea how the victims feel.

Some of the defenders are very educated, but education does not provide intelligence, nor can it provide morals. I'm not against an education, I have one, but common sense can go even further. Understanding the Bible is the best way to discern everything in life.

With plain common sense, here's what I see happening.

Major Goliath retailer keeps expanding into more communities. Consumers with their insatiable appetite for low prices shop for the best deal regardless of how it is provided. Major Goliath retailer employs mostly part time help. Benefits eat up so much of the pathetic pay being offered that very few workers can afford it, but at least Goliath can say they offer benefits. Goliath claims that their average pay is not so bad, ignoring the fact that the numbers are easily skewed with creative math. The number of workers employed by Goliath who are drawing public assistance due to the pathetic wages is seldom discussed.

Defenders would say that these people might be totally dependent on public assistance if Goliath did not come to the rescue and hire them. Every time Goliath hires, many people line up to get the work. How can that be bad?

Critics would point out that this is because Goliath either drove their former employers out of business or forced them to let workers go. Now, low paid work is better than no pay at all. Former employers could not compete with Goliath because they did not have the buying power, nor could they compete while trying to provide better pay and benefits for their workers.

Oh, but maybe that's just retail. It's low end work anyway, right? If Goliath puts smaller retailers out of business, it's just a sign of the times and we should embrace it because it's good for the consumer. Maybe it's too bad for that small family chain of 10 stores that grandpa worked hard to build into the community over three generations, but that's just business. It is considered acceptable collateral damage for progress.

Unfortunately, Goliath doesn't stop there. Drunk with power, Goliath begins leaning more and more heavily on his suppliers, forcing them to make cuts to provide products cheaper and cheaper. The cheaper Goliath can get it, the higher his profits soar. Goliath gets more powerful as his suppliers, and the workers for those suppliers, pay the price. Eventually, domestic suppliers can no longer satisfy Goliath's appetite, so he buys from overseas slave labor markets.

Now Goliath has accomplished more than just cleaning up the retail competition. He has caused job losses in many industries that supply consumer products. Even where jobs have not been lost, the quality of pay and benefits has suffered and continues to go downhill. Instead of Goliath paying decent wages and benefits, the taxpayer gets to pick up the ever increasing burden. But at least we are paying less at the store so the defenders can pretend this is good for the consumer.

Is Goliath solely responsible for this trend? No he is not. But with the leadership role he has taken, his responsibility is more than a little significant. The consumer is equally responsible, but that is a hard pill to swallow because no one likes to admit responsibility. In defense of the consumer, they were easily mislead by Goliath's greed and lack of restraint.

So there you have it folks. Through the example that has been set, you now know how to oppress the working class and create more poor using a proven business model. As an added bonus, you can even get the consumers to play along.

There is a positive side to all this. I firmly believe this story can still have a happy ending. Small business startups are on the rise and more organizations are forming to give them a voice. The Internet is changing the face of business and making it possible for anyone to succeed. Goliath has weaknesses, and creative people are finding the cracks in his armor.

If you adapt to the market changes and don't try to compete with Goliath, you can and will prosper without violating any of God's laws. In fact, God is your best advocate. Never underestimate what you can do with a few stones and a slingshot.

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