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| Empire building. | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 16 2017, 09:50 AM (138 Views) | |
| disgruntled porker | Jan 16 2017, 09:50 AM Post #1 |
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Older than most people think I am.
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There seems to be a constant condemnation and self flagellation about Empire building. By that, I mean counties doing the Empire building. Usually in the past. I was wondering about peoples thoughts on individual persons Empire building. It seems they are not so roundly condemned. In fact they are praised as been entrepreneurs. So what is the difference between a country taking advantage of others to create prosperity, and an individual basically using the same methods to create a personal Empire. Is there a difference between a country and an individual being entrepreneurial? |
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| papasmurf | Jan 16 2017, 09:58 AM Post #2 |
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Senior Member
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It would appear so:- http://news.sky.com/story/eight-billionaires-own-same-as-poorest-half-of-the-world-oxfam-10730267 08:53, UK, Monday 16 January 2017 Inequality is so stark that a small group of men own the same wealth as half the world, say campaigners ahead of the high-profile World Economic Forum in Davos. According to research by Oxfam, the eight billionaires, including Bill Gates who tops the list, have riches equivalent to the wealth of the world's 3.6 billion poorest people. The gap between rich and poor was far greater than feared, and the charity has called for an overhaul of a "warped" economy that allows one in nine people to go hungry. |
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| Alberich | Jan 16 2017, 12:15 PM Post #3 |
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Alberich
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Put simply, a nation creates an empire by military aggression, and forcible subjugation. An entrepreneur creates a business empire by acumen, spotting market opportunities and by purchasing/taking over an established business by paying the market price. And while I take Smurfy's point; while the poor will always be with us, so will the rich....unless he has a solution???? |
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| papasmurf | Jan 16 2017, 12:31 PM Post #4 |
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Senior Member
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That is not my point and if the filthy rich don't do something about it voluntarily:- http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/the-pitchforks-are-coming-for-us-plutocrats-108014 |
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| Affa | Jan 16 2017, 02:17 PM Post #5 |
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It's the system that permits it that is wrong! Politicians democratically elected have a duty to serve in the best interests of those that elect them to office. The system is corrupted to allow those politicians to serve the best interests of those that finance them. |
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| Deleted User | Jan 16 2017, 02:26 PM Post #6 |
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Deleted User
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Ayn Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged with this point in mind. She thought that people like the 8 aforesaid billionaires were the driving force behind human advancement but they are systematically mooched upon by lesser people who make laws and philosophies to support their scrounging. I dont totally agree but I dont think that she can be dismissed. Very few people could become a hugely successful entrepreneur but most hugely successful business could become a skilled worker. |
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| disgruntled porker | Jan 16 2017, 06:19 PM Post #7 |
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Older than most people think I am.
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I wouldn't say that it is entirely true to say that a nation creates an empire by physical military aggression, but I do see where you're coming from, as in the case of Roman Empire, Mongol Empire etc. There can be trading Empires too, not an aggressive military takeover and ensuing subjugation. On the personal Empire building, would you say that these Empires were built on "aggressive" business tactics, often doing others a "bad turn" on the way? Or were they created by really nice people who play with a straight bat. Of course it is ethically immoral to subjugate by military aggression, but is it ethically immoral to use aggression in other forms to create a personal Empire? Subjugation can be achieved without direct physical aggression don't you think? Of course subjugation never exists forever. It eventually turns on those doing the subjugating. Do we really want that? Edited by disgruntled porker, Jan 16 2017, 06:48 PM.
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| disgruntled porker | Jan 16 2017, 06:46 PM Post #8 |
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Older than most people think I am.
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I like the cut of this chap's jib. Just plain common sense. In a nutshell, if consumers don't have the money to spend, the producers of goods and services will sell less and less. Bad for the company, bad for it's owners, bad for the country. If consumers have more money, they buy more goods and demand rises. Producers thrive, the country thrives, everyone thrives. Contrary to what some believe "millionaires" don't make themselves, they have to rely on others to make them "millionaires". When the others don't contribute to the "millionaires" pot, the "millionaires" will soon be stood alongside them. |
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| Oddball | Jan 17 2017, 08:22 AM Post #9 |
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Regrettably it is money/profit/usary that is the lubrication of enterprise, and things, whether on an individual scale or a national one, have a tendancy to run away, caused by various degrees of greed, fear or panic. The trouble with attempting to play fair fair game of 'cricket' is that there is always 'someone' who will take advantage and bowl for your 'nuts. Edited by Oddball, Jan 19 2017, 03:46 PM.
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