Are People Just Resources?

Are People Just Resources to Be Used by Corporations?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 47.1%

  • No

    Votes: 9 52.9%
  • Total voters
    17
Watch the DVD, the Corporation.

It explains how as a legal "person," the corporation is a "psychopath."

As a legal "person," and in its current legal definition obsessed with greed short-term profits for bigwig stockholders, quite often not the people who built the company, I would add, the corporation seeks to externalize its costs, and becomes the biggest "person" around, with more rights than anybody.

I am currently reading the book, Corporateering, which I recently bought a used copy of. It likens corporate abuses, to those of King George, as decribed in the Declaration of Independence.

Author Julian Simon, in his book by the same name, said that people are "The Ultimate Resourse," which I think would/should mean more about the sacred value of each and every person, than that they should even be viewed as a mere resource. (for exploitation?)
 
Great companies value their team players and do not view them simply as a resource, but that certainly will never preclude any particular employee from having days where they feel dehumanized. Someone mentioned "bigwig stockholders" and I thought in response to that I would just mention that many people own stock in the corporations they work for because they believe in the company. It seems to me that taking that view of work not only makes you more productive, but could also give you a sense of ownership of the work product you spit out.
 
TruthSeeker said:
Every employee should be GIVEN shares in addition to a wage...
Click to expand...

Sure, why not just give them the whole fuckin' corporation while you're at it? And throw in salaries for each employee in the same amount as the highest paid executive? And throw in free healthcare insurance for the rest of their lives ...even if they leave the company? Oh, and provide them a nice, multi-million dollar home complete with servants and a world-class chef? Oh, shit, and may as well throw in all the food that they can eat for the rest of their natural life ....as well as for their offspring, and their offspring's offspring, too?

Baron Max
 
I would indeed have to agree with Baron that humans can be considered a resource, however they are not just a resource.
The very key difference, put simply, is that all other typical resources are un-motivated. That is they do nothing on their own and have no direction, no purpose. We however have a purpose, and we can motivate ourselves (our emotions play a big role here in sperating).
And thus, whether or not you would call someone a resource depends on the context. In a corporation, one could consider humans a resource, however they are one you have less absolute controll over, (a goup of people can go on strike, a pile of coal can't) and it is these differences which leave a desire to classify humans as something more, for if a word can correctly be used everywhere, then it is meaningless.
Thus my conclusion is, humans are a resource in the corect context.
Though simply resources to be used by corporations? no.

-Andrew
 
Regarding the poll, no. People are not just resources to be used by corporations. They are resources to be used by corporations works IMO if you take out the just.

Baron Max said:
You ain't nothin' more than a single drop in the ocean of humanity. You could disappear tomorrow and only a tiny, tiny fraction of the human race would even know it.
Click to expand...

That is exactly the problem. If I died, nothing important to humanity would happen. If I lived something would! Er, anyway, the point I was making is the impact of people's death seems like a backwards way of evaluating their importance.


And yet, with all of that, you just have to pretend, to talk yourself into, some foolishness that you're important. Why?
Baron Max
Click to expand...

You are everything to yourself, obviously. It isn't logical to be any other way :)
 
superluminal said:
The "human resources" department used to be "personnell". "Personnell" reflected the fact that, while any useful item (plant, animal, mineral) can be a "resource" people were more than simple resources to be used like a lawn mower. The transition to "human resources" to me reflects a dehumaniuzation of the very people that are the only reason for the existence of any company. I for one hate the term "human resources". I have needs, wants, desires, etc. unlike the common idea of a resource like packing tape.

Most corporations exhibit an astonishing degree of corporate stupidity toward their most valuable "resources" - people.
Click to expand...
Yes, people are resources. Our most valuable resources. But I have to agree with you. I also don't like that term and find it dehumanizing.
 
Baron Max said:
Sure, why not just give them the whole fuckin' corporation while you're at it? And throw in salaries for each employee in the same amount as the highest paid executive? And throw in free healthcare insurance for the rest of their lives ...even if they leave the company? Oh, and provide them a nice, multi-million dollar home complete with servants and a world-class chef? Oh, shit, and may as well throw in all the food that they can eat for the rest of their natural life ....as well as for their offspring, and their offspring's offspring, too?

Baron Max
Click to expand...
Ever heard of WestJet?
 
Exhumed said:
If I died, nothing important to humanity would happen. If I lived something would!
Click to expand...

The chance of you or anyone making any significant contribution to humanity is .....what 1 in 6 billion? Those ain't good odds, my friend.

Exhumed said:
Er, anyway, the point I was making is the impact of people's death seems like a backwards way of evaluating their importance.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying? First, people are NOT important ...that's your first mistake. The second is that people are dying and being killed all over the planet by the thousands at this very moment, yet it's not having any detrimental affect on your live whatsoever, is it? NO, of course not. Now just use that to determine the importance of humans!

Exhumed said:
You are everything to yourself, obviously. It isn't logical to be any other way)
Click to expand...

It's sad when a person can't recognize and accept his own limitations in life. It usually causes lots of mental problems that shouldn't have happened.

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
The chance of you or anyone making any significant contribution to humanity is .....what 1 in 6 billion? Those ain't good odds, my friend.



I'm not sure I understand what you're saying? First, people are NOT important ...that's your first mistake. The second is that people are dying and being killed all over the planet by the thousands at this very moment, yet it's not having any detrimental affect on your live whatsoever, is it? NO, of course not. Now just use that to determine the importance of humans!



It's sad when a person can't recognize and accept his own limitations in life. It usually causes lots of mental problems that shouldn't have happened.

Baron Max
Click to expand...

Since you are one of the unimportant persons why should your opinion be given any consideration?
 
samcdkey said:
Since you are one of the unimportant persons why should your opinion be given any consideration?
Click to expand...

EXACTLY!!! And that's true of every single person on this forum.

And, Sam, if you took your own advice, perhaps this would be a better forum! :D

Baron Max
 
samcdkey said:
What would you do here without me?
Click to expand...

I'd probably not have learned to hate Muslims and Indians had you not been here. Now, in knowing you, my life has changed ...perhaps for the better. I once gave Muslims and Indians the benefit of the doubt ...not no more.

Baron Max
 
TruthSeeker said:
:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I was agreeing with you, many companies hand out stock along with a paycheck. It is important to include employees in the goals(and rewards) of the business. Oh also I LOVE flying west jet and to be actually treated like a customer instead of "cargo"(aircanada).
 
nietzschefan said:
I was agreeing with you, many companies hand out stock along with a paycheck.
Click to expand...

And if the company goes belly up, those stocks won't be worth spit. So is it such a good deal? I don't think so ...unless the stocks are issued like stock options. In which case one can cash them in when the stock is higher than when issued. But ...if all the employees do it at the same time ...it could be determental to the company.

Baron Max
 
nietzschefan said:
I was agreeing with you, many companies hand out stock along with a paycheck. It is important to include employees in the goals(and rewards) of the business. Oh also I LOVE flying west jet and to be actually treated like a customer instead of "cargo"(aircanada).
Click to expand...
Good! :)
 
Baron Max said:
And if the company goes belly up, those stocks won't be worth spit. So is it such a good deal? I don't think so ...unless the stocks are issued like stock options. In which case one can cash them in when the stock is higher than when issued. But ...if all the employees do it at the same time ...it could be determental to the company.

Baron Max
Click to expand...
Share ownership give people a much greater incentive to work harder.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top