Some days I look around and wonder: Has the whole world gone crazy or is it just me. Just me would be much better. I would be quite happy locked in a padded cell with Lego's and Play-Doh and maybe a Spirograph. If you come to visit me, I want cake and maybe a teddy bear. Unfortunately, I don't think it is just me, and they probably wouldn't let me have the Lego's anyway.
Several times in the past few years I've stated "problems only get fixed when they are too expensive to ignore". The problem can be anything from dirty dishes to industrial safety. For some people, one dirty dish is too much for them and everything has to be washed or put in the dishwasher immediately, others will actually buy dishes rather than wash the dirty ones. For individuals, the expense isn't necessarily monetary.
Corporations, however, put a dollar value on everything. If a faulty auto part is discovered, the manufacturer will usually use it, because it's cheaper to do a recall than to stop production. A more gruesome example is mine safety. From time to time we hear of a mine collapse with miners trapped inside. Usually these occur in other countries, but this wasn't always the case. Not too many years ago, mining disasters in the United States were altogether too common. The reason was simple, the cost of making every mine as safe as possible was more than the cost of an occasional rescue attempt. If there were any casualties, the payoff to surviving family was a bargain. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) would rarely hand out fines, and even then, the fines were not enough to matter. Then along came the wrongful death lawsuit. Suddenly, the miner's lives were worth several million each. As a result, while mining will never be a safe occupation, it is much safer today, in this country.
Am I saying that corporations knowingly cause the death of people in the name of profit. Yes. Drug companies aggressively market drugs that will cause a certain number of deaths. When they balance multibillion dollar earnings against multimillion dollar lawsuits, guess which way they choose. Auto manufacturers fought against seatbelts, then shoulder belts and finally air bags, because they cut into the profit margin. Every industry has been killing us by numbers and they will fight tooth and nail against any change. Change will only come when change is the cheaper option.
Once you fully grasp this concept, the world becomes a little scarier. Asbestos, mercury, lead-based paint, tobacco, pesticides, herbicides, and the list goes on, all things that continued in wide-spread use long after their health risks were identified. Any change that causes a major uproar, you can be certain someone's profit margin is involved. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly called "Obamacare") is a perfect example. The healthcare and insurance industries are both staring at serious profit reductions. That's what all the noise is about.
Another perfect example is the current battle over gun control legislation. The weapon manufacturers, through the NRA could see a major reduction in their profits if universal background checks are required. Safety isn't the issue. It has nothing to do with the 2nd Amendment or personal protection, it isn't about the government disarming the public or overthrowing tyranny, and it certainly isn't about the lives lost to crazy people with guns. It is all about the money. The gun manufacturers and the NRA don't have to pay for those lives lost, in fact, they make money off of them. Every mass shooting results in increased gun sales as the NRA media machine strokes the paranoia of the American public. Worst case, a court might require a minor payment from a gun manufacturer for wrongful death, but, even if it isn't overturned on appeal, it's still just pocket change.
In this country, every industry has some government agency to make sure they follow the rules. Typically these agencies are run by industry insiders, which limits the amount of oversight the agencies are providing. On the rare occasions where infractions are found, the penalties are ridiculously small. Imagine a mass murderer, caught at the scene with gun in hand, all the proof necessary, so there can be no doubt of his guilt, being sentenced to 3 days in jail and a $25 fine. Imagine taking a large group out to an expensive dinner where the bill exceeds $3000 and tipping the waitstaff a quarter. Now see if you can figure out why industries have no incentive to change.
The next time you see a media frenzy over some type of government action, before you choose sides, start asking yourself a few questions. What industries are involved? How will this action affect their profits? If you take away the industry's reasons and replace them with "because we don't want to pay for it", does your opinion about the issue change? After all, how many times have you made up a reason for your children all because you didn't want to pay for whatever they wanted?
Just in case, I don't like German Chocolate cake and bring more Lego's.
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