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Corporate Greed The New Agenda Violates us All
Posted by B2B on: 2006-04-06 10:40:08
Corporate Greed The New Agenda Violates us All
by Dana Glenn Smith
Have you seen a man who is expert in his business? he will take his place before kings his place will not be among low persons. Proverbs 22:29 BBE
There is truth in the Proverb above. When a man or woman is expert in his business, the power and prestige bring him to the corridors of top nobility. Within reach of the President and an associate of kings. The power wielded by the successful businessman is tremendous. Our nation is founded upon this type of Enterprise.
However, in the place of business, there is always the trap to want more. That place where the business you worked hard for is doing good, but not good enough. For many people it would be good enough, but not you. Therefore, you work harder. As the sweat of labor flows from your brow, new horizons open up. As a result of your hard work and pushing forward, success is your reward.
As your success is rewarded with more profits, you find yourself obtaining more and more. There never seems to be an end of it. You need to have more money. It all starts with just a little remaking of the books. Hide a bit there, take a little there. Before long, what was an innocent $100.00 scrub from the books for a private whim, now has reached thousands. You bury one amount under another. Then do it again and again. Before long the train of money you have scrubbed from the books and taken is rapidly becoming Grand Larceny. The board knows nothing. You have paid off the accountant, yet the guilt is nagging you.
You have now entered a new level of business. It is here where the line between greed and profit is very fine. You must ask yourself this question. When is enough, enough? How did I get to this point? Then ask yourself this. How many millions do corporate presidents have to make to be satisfied? Why, then do those in the corporate atmosphere end up in white collar crime? It seems with all those multi-millions coming in, the temptation is too great. Was the temptation to great for you? For many, the path to mismanagement is quick, only dotted with a few warning signs.
Examples of this have been broadcast on the major networks for years.
Some of these are still in our memory like Ex-Enron executive Michael Kopper who pled guilty to two felony charges. Forbes reported at the time, that acting CEO Stephen Cooper said "Enron may face $100 billion in claims and liabilities as the company filed Chapter 11." Enron’s auditor Andersen was convicted of obstruction of justice for destroying Enron documents. Enron had apparently hid debts totaling over $1 billion dollars by improperly using off-the-books partnerships. They had also manipulated the Texas power market, bribed foreign governments, and manipulated the California power market as well. Then we all remember WorldCom, which overstated cash flow by booking $3.8 billion in operating expenses as capitol expenses. Then they gave founder Bernard Ebbers $400 million in off the book loans.
Over the years we have watched as more and more corporations are being found out to be greedy and doing things that are illegal. It is one thing for these businesses to pay for their mistakes, but quite another when it affects others. In these cases, the multi-billion dollar corporations affect a nation. From Wall Street’s market to down town main street shoppers, it affects us all. It pushes stocks and bonds as the money men try to fix the problem. Its hard to do when billions are at stake. These companies affect our very life. Just as the case is when Enron manipulated the power markets in Texas and California. We also watch the layoffs, company closures, and people who have worked for years to lay up savings and retirement, then lose it all.
Moreover, we must remember that the work ethic of America has made us strong. Today, however, honesty and integrity is lacking. It is a way of life today to grab more for yourself, get rich, then flaunt it. But is that the American Way? No, it is not. This nation was founded by people who wanted a nation built for freedom. A person could come to this country and make a better life. The nation they came to was America. It was new. The people who came were immigrants, usually from a bitter life or bad experiences. They were happy to be coming to a better way. However, when they arrived, most ended up in New York City. Reality set in. It was a dog eat dog world. There were some who ventured into crime to succeed. But many, however brought with them ethics and moral aptitude. They knew what was right and what was wrong. No matter the struggles, the moral compasses these people had, were strong enough to see them through tough times.
Today, we see a new climate. It seemed to start in the Reagan era when he wanted to "raise our standard of living". Yea, my standard of living has been raised. The trouble is, I am no better than before. It costs more to buy those things we need. In this new climate we find greed, selfishness, and that bitter desire to succeed at all costs. Money is a God for many today. The result of having money is freedom, power, and prestige. However, at the struggle for this God of money or mammon is the root of all evil. That root once tasted is delicious to some. For at this root one finds himself or herself being propelled by this money God at all costs. When it takes hold, the vision can be dim to those things which are right. The sense of fair play is replaced by get it anyway you can.
This new climate is even pushed by our own government which cannot balance its own books. The US national debt as of March 29th, 2006 is $8,371,423,726,144.12. This debt has increased $2.43 billion per day since September 2005 according to the U.S. National Debt clock. We had since locked up all those corporate greed masters and told ourselves well done. But we have failed to pin point the problem. There is a saying that bears repeating now. " I looked for the enemy and found the enemy was I". Corporations with their scandals of greed along with Government mismanagement of its own business, are just examples, which reveal to us business is in need of a honesty and integrity overhaul . Along the way we need to teach our children about honesty and integrity again. The issue will not go away while we continue to do the same things. Money isn’t everything, but it helps out in a pinch. For many, they live this saying to the max. Then there are those who are honestly doing and living within their budgets. For them money is not the means to an end, honesty and integrity are.
Dana G Smith is a Writer, Author of the Book D-Day for America, and is the Watchman of the http://wingswatchman.org and its http://wingswatchman.org/Wordpress and the Watchman Prophecy Alert News with "click n play" sermons, teachings, free graphics and banners, plus more articles on the prophetic endtimes in which we live.
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