[Rod_Cloutier]

This week my employers, in their infinite wisdom, fired someone and gave me half their work, and the other half of the job to another co-worker. Somehow, somewhere in the back of my mind I feel they should also have given me half the fired person’s paycheque on top of what they are already paying me to complete all this additional work??

The corporation I work for has decided that despite record profitability this year, that there is a critical need to increase sales by 20% over the next year; with no increases in expenses. (No their not kidding). The fact of the matter if we do by some miracle achieve 20% growth in sales, there will be a corresponding growth in operational costs- something the sales people at the top have no conception of !!!

In a world that does not make any sense at all, where Wal-Mart is forever offering 'More for less', events like these can be counted apon. What happens when declining energy inputs, economic collapse or other 'unanticipated' costs start arriving? The whole business model goes sour.

All of a sudden for more growth you will automatically have more cost, the more you try to push growth the greater the costs of that growth will be; untill we reach a collective point of 'Less for more'. At which point sanity may be restored to the economy.

An unrelated, but similarly distressing event that also took place today, my teenage daughter brought home her report card today. Despite almost straight 'A's', she had a poor mark in social studies, which made me raise an eyebrow. The teacher wrote the following in her report card comments:

Over the past couple of months, this course has focused on the quality of life around the world. Your daughter has shown that she is beginning to understand the effect of choices that lead to a good quality of life, compared with those choices made by people in third world countries and the quality of life achieved in those countries.

I was flabbergasted at this statement. Blaming the victim type of approach to comparing first world standards of living to those of third world countries; attributing all the differences to 'lifestyle choices'. My straight A daughter is too smart, and knows very well that factors such as pandemic disease, rampant unemployment, fascism and dictatorships, no opportunity and oppression are the primary reasons for the differences. Not 'lifestyle choices'.

My daughter then recounted to me a recent test in the class where she was asked a question like, 'Provide a rationale why warfare is sometimes good public policy for the advancement of society'. My daughter answered that 'Warfare is a social, economic and environmental catastrophe and war is never a good thing'. She was failed on the answer by the teacher. (A++) in my book though.

What is the world coming to? At least my kid is smart.

[Sixstrings]

The corporation I work for has decided that despite record profitability this year, that there is a critical need to increase sales by 20% over the next year; with no increases in expenses. (No their not kidding). The fact of the matter if we do by some miracle achieve 20% growth in sales, there will be a corresponding growth in operational costs- something the sales people at the top have no conception of !!!

Ah, that's a tough situation.. when corporate sets a must-achieve goal that everyone knows is impossible. All you can do is whatever you can, keep your head low and stay under the radar.. when the dust settles and the goals aren't meant they'll fire more people then lower the targets.

In a world that does not make any sense at all, where Wal-Mart is forever offering 'More for less', events like these can be counted apon. What happens when declining energy inputs, economic collapse or other 'unanticipated' costs start arriving? The whole business model goes sour.

I would differ with you there, just because even in the midst of overall contraction, growth is still possible for INDIVIDUALS and INDIVIDUAL companies. In the case of your company, it wouldn't be NEW growth but rather coutcompeting and taking away somebody else's business. Although isn't Canada doing okay.. I think your economy is growing.

All of a sudden for more growth you will automatically have more cost, the more you try to push growth the greater the costs of that growth will be; untill we reach a collective point of 'Less for more'. At which point sanity may be restored to the economy.

You're thinking of the economy as a whole, and society as a whole. That's a good thing, but in the context of competition YOU can always grow -- at the expense of others. If the macro situation isn't pro-growth then obviously the competition is much harder, especially with globalism.. but not impossible.

I was flabbergasted at this statement. Blaming the victim type of approach to comparing first world standards of living to those of third world countries; attributing all the differences to 'lifestyle choices'.

Yeah that's patently ridiculous, blaming third worlders for their "lifestyle choices." I'd say that warrants a polite letter to the teacher. It's funny, I can't imagine this kind of teaching in American schools. We actually have third worlders sitting in the class. Your kid's teacher would be better off comparing America to Canada and let that be the lesson about healthy societies.

My daughter then recounted to me a recent test in the class where she was asked a question like, 'Provide a rationale why warfare is sometimes good public policy for the advancement of society'. My daughter answered that 'Warfare is a social, economic and environmental catastrophe and war is never a good thing'. She was failed on the answer by the teacher. (A++) in my book though.

I differ with you there. What the teacher is trying to do is teach CRITICAL THINKING. That's been the buzzword for a long time now in education. Although really this is more appropriate for law school.. it's a bit out of place in high school. If he or she is going to do this, the teacher needs to SPECIFY that the student is only making an argument -- whether they personally believe it is irrelevant.

As long as they make that very clear, then actually it's a good intellectual exercise.. you see, a person needs a thorough understanding of the subject matter to be capable of arguing the other side. But again, that might be asking too much of high schoolers (and people in general TBH).

P.S. Ironically, your daughter could have read Obama's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech for tips on how to argue for war.

[prajeshbhat]

I think we are going to see the dark side of this globalization. 'More for less' can only work when energy is dirt cheap and labor is provided by the third world( 'More for nothing!'). Now tat all that is gone, resource wars are likely. This time among large nations. Good to know young minds are against war.

[Pops]

If energy becomes more expensive, then the economy will shrink.
So the number of jobs will shrink and with them the value of each worker -
sorta like it has over the last decade.

Its supply and demand.

Sorry about the extra work, but at least you're better off than the other guy, for now.

[Narz]

Kudos to your daughter! And kudos to you for supporting her & not siding with the "authorities" & admonishing her for be judged poorly in that class.

[Fishman]

Repent, sorry about the work load. Crappy economy allows business to ratchet everything.
Sorry your daughter scored lower on her Socialism class. We usually use things like this as teaching points at our house. The gospel of victimhood fails all intellectual criteria, but its what's taught. The critical thinking is understanding the failings, the skill is having the child regurgitate the garbage, and learn to laugh at it as they write it on their tests.

[AgentR11]

While not really siding with the teaching of this class; one should always be able to effectively argue any position that has a bearing on your interests and preferences.

Your daughter demonstrated that she does have strong feelings about war being something that must be avoided; thus she should be able to give the argument of the opposing positions.

The assigned test is clearly such a case. If she felt it necessary, she could include a nota bene to indicate her own personal disdain for the notion that war could ever be a social good.

[Newfie]

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we end up with A##holes for bosses. It is best to not anger the beasts as long as you are living on their table droppings.

Learn to think your thoughts and keep them quite. But cherish them for you have a smart Father and a smart Daughter.

When you don't keep your thoughts quite it makes for an unpleasant work experience, which I know from first hand experience.

It is tough when the kid is smarter than the teacher, my condolences.