Webster's New World Dictionary defines innovation as such: 1) The act or process of innovating; 2) Something newly introduced, new method, custom device, etc.; 3) Change in the way of doing things.
Our fore fathers were innovative in the contents of our constitution. Democracy is a way of life that allows us to be innovative. American business and industry has been innovative in the past in what they produce and the American people have been innovative in adjusting to conditions thrust upon them. Sadly, only the former and the latter are working for America and its people at the present time.
Corporate America is in the dark age of innovation. We have a crisis with the use of fossil fuels for many years but noone in corporate America is willing to take the lead and be innovative. Auto manufacturing have to be told by the government to build better vehicles with better gas mileage. The oil and gas industry continues to push for more drilling and in pristine places instead of working to produce alternate fuels. The list can go on and on with all the problems we have today and I know the people understand where I am coming from.
The problem is two fold: Corporate and political greed. One can not exist without the other. Why does corporate America have to innovate when they can get corporate welfare and tax breaks from the government for any little thing? Why do CEO's have to think about innovation when they take home millions even when their companies do poorly? And why should elected officials perform when they can get elected and reelected because of all the money they receive from lobbyist in the form of campaign contributions? Make no mistake, our country can handle the problems that are with us today with the right leadership from our elected officials and corporate America. Innovation can not be bought. It is an attitude of progress for wanting and creating some thing new and useful to move humankind forward.
In order for people to understand how greed has retarded innovation in America I will pass on the following information published in the book, " A Time To Fight" by Senator Jim Webb. It tells the sad story of what is happening in America.
In 1968 The average Corporate CEO made 20 times the salary of his average worker. Today that multiple is over 400 times his average worker.
Japanese CEO's make 10 times the salary of the average worker.
German and S. Korean CEO's make 11 times the salary of the average worker.
French CEO's make 16 times the salary of the average worker.
Italian CEO's make 19 times the salary of the average worker; Canadian CEO's make 21 times the salary of the average worker; British CEO's make 25 times the salary of the average worker.
All of these foreign CEO's direct companies that compete with the United States.
The most productive Countries, Germany, Japan and S. Korea have the least amount of income disparity between their CEO's and their workers.
Half of the stocks in America are owned by 1% of the people.
This great disparity between American executives and their workers is a disgrace and has grown at a time when workers are upon hard times. The American worker should share more in the wealth they helped create but instead, wealth is being transferred to their CEO's. And get this, corporate America has been cutting back on their workers, retirement, pensions, health insurance and benefits at alarming rates. Innovation? You won't find it in corporate America. Greed, yea you got that right.
Former V.P. Al Gore has started a campaign to have the next President and Congress act to have our country produce electric power from renewable fuels and to discontinue using fossil fuels for that purpose and do so in the next 10 years and of course corporate American and those who want to continue the status quo say the goal can not be reached in 10 years. These are the same voices who said America could not reach President Kennedy's goal of putting a man on the moon.
Innovative corporate America --- it has not existed for many years. Their ideology now is corporate welfare, greed, and tax breaks to add to their profits and transfer of wealth. If the average worker were allowed to share in the wealth they help create our economy would be strong and sustainable. The next President and Congress needs to address the problem.
2 comments :
Here's where that word "bitter" comes in again. I know a great deal of companies who are losing out to foreign manufacturers in this very country because of their betrayal of the American worker. Many American workers, myself included, will buy the foreign name plate over an American name plate if both are made overseas. I feel as if the American company can put American workers out of work to ship jobs overseas to sweat shops, I can pay a little more to make sure I know longer buy that brand.
If Corporate America cut its compensation to its CEO's to a reasonable level it could afford to provide benefits to its employees instead of cutting them. Thats where the money saved should go anyway, to the employees who make their businesses profitable.
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