[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by saden1

GhettoDogAllStars may not have answered your questions but I will. First, your "questions" tend to be simplistic and stupid in nature. Second, they tend to be leading questions but not the good kind. Finally, they tend to be very insulting to sensibility.

If all things are equal why does one job pay more than the other? Perhaps one requires you to be away from your family more often? Maybe it will but a strain on your marriage? Maybe you're being too short sighted to see that you may lose your family at the expense of few more bucks and a shiny new boat?

Clearly you don't understand the question. When I say "all other things being equal" I mean that the two jobs are otherwise equal in their perks, their distance from your home, the health and vacation benefits they're offering -- the two jobs offers are indentical, but one pays more than the other. Which job would you choose? And are you being greedy by taking the higher paying job?

If you're shopping for a product, and the two products on the shelf both will do the job you want them to do, are you being greedy by selecting the less expensive brand?

Originally Posted by Saden1

WTF kind of question is this and what does it have to do with greed? I don't believe you understand what the word greedy means.

From your link: "Greed: 1. Excessively desirous of acquiring OR POSSESSING, especially wishing to possess more than what one needs or deserves."

If you're trying to save money by choosing a less expensive product, aren't you trying to possess more wealth? The object, in the end, is to have as much money left over after the purchase as possible, no? Again, greed = possessing more than you deserve -- think real hard here, Saden.

If you start a business, and you do everything in your power to cut down on expenses to earn as much money as you possibly can, are you being greedy?

Originally Posted by Saden1

Your best question so far but a very stupid question nonetheless. Making as much money as possible is perfectly fine, making as much money as possible at the expense of your customers, employees and shareholders is not.

Saden, you really ought to endeavor to do two things: spend more time actually reading the links you provide, and start using a dictionary. Your Enron example doesn't fit what we're talking about here. Check the definiton of fraud.

"1. Fraud: A deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain."

You say that making as much money as possible is fine, but not at the expense of your customers, employees, and shareholders. No kidding. One constitutes fraud, the other does not. That's like saying studying hard in college and working diligently for a higher paying job is fine but robbing banks is not. That's why the Enron Wiki link does nothing to prove your point. Enron engaged in accounting fraud which is against the law.

The point behind those questions I posed was to help distinguish between what is greedy and what is acting in your own best interests. If you answer the questions honestly, you will see that there's not much difference between the two.

GhettoDogAllStars used the phrase "corporate greed". Problem is, corporate greed is no different than what an individual does to enhance his or her position in life. We all want a better life for ourselves. Some of us spend more time with education, getting as much training as we can so that we're better qualified for a higher paying job. Some of us then use the money we've earned at that higher paying job to start or acquire a business that makes us more money. If we're successful, we expand, hire more employees, invest more, save more, and spend more.

Corporations, businesses big and small are no different. They've done exactly the same thing. In fact, just about all big businesses started small in the beginning. But somewhere along the line, they crossed the line from being respectable, to being hated by those on the left. I've tried for a long time to find out exactly what that line is. Is there a specific budget you can't exceed? A certain number of employees you can hire before you become "evil" in the minds of socialists? To me, that makes no sense.

That's why philisophically, I don't accept that 'greed' or even 'selfishness' is necessarily a bad thing.