Some Kids Never Grow Up....They Just Become CEO's...

“But, Mom….Dad…..everybody else is doing it…!”

If you’re a parent of a kid over the age of 6, you know the drill.

Probably the first time in life that a child instinctively tries to simultaneously do what ever they want to do, regardless of the right or wrong of it, while self teaching one of life’s most basic lessons.

There’s safety in numbers.

And what, fellow parents, is the time tested, never fail to shut em up response to their self serving logic?
Right.

“Well, if everybody else jumped off a cliff, would you want to do it, too?”

Downcast eyes. Sad voice.

“….no……”

Nothing new going on here. That argument has been offered up by kids since the days of T Rex.

And parents since day one have pretty much shot down said argument the very first time their kid draws and fires.

Too bad we don’t stick to our guns when it comes to dealing with the grown ups who pull that trick.

They’ve been getting away with it for years.
They’re getting away with it as we speak.

Yesterday, CEO’s from various and sundry major oil companies were in Washington, DC “testifying” in front of Congress and trying to explain why they think their companies should continue to get tax breaks when they collectively made 143 billion dollars in profits last year and we’re paying almost four dollars a gallon for gasoline.

Personally, I say screw the tax breaks, I’d like to hear them explain why they shouldn’t go to jail for taking home that kind of money while people are falling behind in their house payments so they can drive their cars to get to work.

Let alone heat their houses.

Obviously, you can guess what the wheels had to say.

One VP from ExxonMobil said that the industry knows that fuel costs are hurting people but they say it’s not their fault and their profits are in line with other industries.

It’s that last part that hit me right between the gas pumps.

“…profits are in line with other industries….”

In other words…

“…But…Mr. Consumer….Mrs. Consumer….everybody else is doing it…!

The transparent attempt at justifying totally obscene profits would be funny and somewhat poignant, given the way it makes us all think back to the days of raising our little schemers.
Or even the days when we were the little schemers.

And we’ve all heard the standard drone that in a free market economy, there is no such thing as too much profit..

Making more money than God is the centerpiece of the American dream.
That’s how capitalism works.

But when I have so much food in my cupboard I cant close the door and my neighbor is starving to death, common sense, let alone common decency, dictates that I should share the wealth.

That’s how compassion works.

And what does compassion have to do with business, it might be asked?
Nothing.

That’s my point.

Judge not, the old Scripture goes, but I cant help but wonder what these fat cat folks with more money than morals are gonna offer up when they have to stand and the gate and justify their gasoline gouging gluttony.

“…But, God……everybody else was doing it…..”

“ Well, when everyone else was jumping off a cliff, did you want to do it, too?”

Downcast eyes. Sad voice.

“…no….”

“Right….now go to Hell.”