A REFILL AT DU-PAR'S

In regard to “Du-par’s? Do tell,” a few trusted friends have taken umbrage with my position on the ideal relationship between business and labor. That’s worth another cup of coffee.

The American view of success is pretty simple – just earn as much as you possibly can. Maximum wealth is the only thing keeping the wolf from the door. “Do unto others,” is fine for Sundays, but, “Let the buyer beware,” is the operative motto from Monday to Friday. There are some safety nets in place for those who stumble, but they’re mostly for show. It’s free market capitalism for the big boys and free-fall sky diving for everyone else.

It’s not a bad system, if you don’t mind stepping over the broken bodies of the people whose parachutes fail. Some are slackers, some are cheaters, some just have bad luck, but one way or another, people will fall through the cracks. If you can handle the mess on the sidewalk, raise your hand and praise Jesus.

For some of us, though, there is another view, a view of a community. This system would lean toward achieving the greatest good for the largest number of people. That doesn’t mean everyone’s on the dole or that everyone ends up with the same amount, but it does mean that the overriding consideration would be community rather than self. A manufacturer wouldn’t move his operation over seas to save money because he would be hurting the members of his own community, who, by the way, would no longer be able to buy his product, being out of work. Since we are all in the same boat (on the same planet), first let’s make sure the boat doesn’t sink, then we’ll worry about who gets the best seat.

Such a system would certainly include universal health care (see: Gov Schwarzenegger, State of the State speech), insurance, education, and some form of job protection. It would also require a new definition of success itself. The ultimate winner would no longer be the one who dies the richest, but the one who lives the richest life.

This is not a starry-eyed, aging hippie wish for peace on earth, it is a practical solution to the problems of 21st century life. I am convinced that, “people do a better job when they are undistracted by fear,” when they feel they are being treated fairly and will not be abandoned. A productive work force results from a stable, secure environment.

As for the rest of the world, I strongly suspect that people who are fed, clothed, housed, employed, and occupied, are far less likely to want to go to war, with America or anyone else. Helping others achieve a decent standard of living is in our own best interest, and with the world getting smaller all the time, there aren’t a lot of other practical choices.

A foot on either side

Bartley B