Reply to comment

United Fruit Company is a premier example of a company that did NOT employ the local workforce. They enslaved them with corrupt practices and because they operated with this level of ignorance, they destroyed the country's economy, political stability, and caused the collapse of their own success to a degree. When a company goes this far over the top, that happens...rebellion is imminent and expropriation is guaranteed. And that is exactly what happened. What happened after that was a bunch of who shot John about communism coming to various central American countries, which was a code word for unionism. Read about it...it's rather interesting. Look up Sam the Banana man, and you will glean a model of greed and corruption that created the situation of the "banana republic" today.

The strong survive...never bought that one! You see, many gang members believe in this and they use the strength of numbers to intimidate good folks, honest people, and those who do not have the strength of numbers. The same could be said for the mafia. If strength is upheld by intimidation and corruption, then God help us. I'm not saying these people are morally strong, or even have a strong sense of themselves when they need others to feel strong, but strength is in perception. This is why I believe in a more humanitarian way of dealing with others. Sure, any of us can go grab an AK47 and demand what we want, and if we unite with like minded spirits, we can amass great wealth, just as drug cartels do. That doesn't make it right. The same goes for people like Bernie Madoff or the Kennedy clan, or any others who are "strong" because of ill gotten gains.

The you work, you eat, you do not work you do not eat thing...well...in part, I agree with that; but what of the elderly lady who is so arthritic that she no longer can work? Do we just let her starve? What if she has worked hard her entire life but didn't have the intellectual capability to secure a good retirement plan. Same thing? What about the mentally incapacitated? Them too? At one point, we do have a social responsibility to help those who cannot help themselves. And if we also allow corporations to only hire those who are light and bright and oh so white, you might not like the ramifications of that, because those who are left out may join gangs or drug cartels and then we are back to "only the strong survive."

On land profits...let's say India comes to the U.S. and buys up all of our foreclosed homes today. Let's say they raise the rent to a margin that breaks families and causes them extreme financial hardship. (sort of like what United Fruit did) And then these people find that they can't even buy land in their own country any longer. What happens then? Bet you they'd rebel and expropriate those properties and make things fair and right, and THAT is exactly what happened in the United Fruit story.

On fairness...slap enough people and they may double up their fists and punch back. You can't go around slapping people instead of creating an environment where they see opportunity, otherwise you have Haiti, or Somalia, where armed terrorists take what they want. There has to always be hope.

On racial and cultural equality....wrong there! It can progess and has, although it comes in tides. But if you allow a dominant culture to continue to oppress others, then you have those (many immigrants coming to the U.S. demonstrate this) who have no respect for your laws or justice system and create their own. Ever heard of MS-13 gang? How do you suppose that got started and grew so huge? Then you have a pandemic. Not smart to plant the seeds for that! For every intolerable action, there is an intolerable reaction. I'm of the opinion that we realize it is a difficult task, but we never cease trying to make it right.

I don't believe in handouts either, but I do believe in teaching. Doing nothing is a prelude to disorder.

On organized crime...wrong again. Use our military and imprison each and every person who chooses to engage in organized crime. Use wire taps, Rico laws, and road blocks, but get rid of it because it is a cancer. It can be done. They got rid of the dangers of most gangs in Los Angeles to a point, and that model can work with any organized crime.