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Business Ethics

November 15, 2009

Only the Rich Die Old

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I am a week or so behind on  my comments regarding Wall Street’s  acquisition of N1H1 vaccines, but that is partially because I am so disgusted at the in our faces display of our society’s failings that I have been stumped for words. Earlier this month it was revealed that some Wall Street institutions like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and others received doses of the vaccine to give to their employees. Now, all large companies request them, but they received them. As we all know, there are simply not enough vaccines to go around, and adding insult to injury people are dying of this flu that could reach pandemic levels.

Currently the vaccine is for those at the highest risk. So, what makes Goldman Sachs employees high risk? Nothing. What makes them more special than our hospitals? Nothing. Why should they have a better chance at health than others that are in immediate peril? They shouldn’t. In fact, they should be the lowest risk group in the country if we want to be fair, but a plutocracy is not fair. There is that word again. It just keeps popping up. First they stole from our economy, then our taxpayers, and now from our very well being and survival. You may even agree with me, but you are probably still saying to yourself “it doesn’t have anything to do with me.” May I remind you of a piece written by Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemolle for a speech he gave in 1946.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

I am not equating Nazi Germany with what is happening here in any way, but we simply cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the destruction of America by out of control big business. This nation is rich in its history of innovation, corporate social responsibility, and the best there is when it comes to taking care of our fellow mankind. Ask yourselves what is happening, and how much more can we take before we demand something is done?

Anyone that doubts we are a plutocracy must look at this as another example. Please, I beg someone to take the opposing side to this argument and prove me wrong. Can’t, can you?