Was there a time when employers really cared about employees? I'm running through history books in my head but can't recall anything specific. Personally, I think there are employers who care about profit - a good thing, since having the company solvent means those who work for the company get to have jobs, and then there are many more employers who care about profit plus. Plus means the ability to be superior to the employees. The owners are rich, management gets paid staggeringly more money than those who are managed and everybody above use their powers to inflict duress on those who actually do the work. That's not something to increase profit, it's just something to show that those who are higher are somehow better than those who are lower on whatever ranking system the company arbitrarily uses to chart or graph or measure that the people in high places get to be in high places because they are in high places. I am not making this up. Some companies will even use their power to tell employees what they can and can't do on their own time - not like they can't commit felony murder but telling the employees who they can and can't talk with on their own time.

After many years of working in both low places and high places, I've picked out a few differences that I find interesting, though I have not yet come to any real conclusions except some thoughts on the dismal state of human nature in general. Those in low places all seem to get along with each other, while some authority figure way above their pay grade is just a jerk but nobody has to really deal with him or her. Those in high places step on anyone in low places, while trying to stab the others in high places in the back so that the stabber will come out ahead and remain in some exalted position. What an incredible difference in the conscience of people or the lack thereof. It's like when you have some issue with a fellow member in a motorcycle club. You just spit it out and work it out as equals. In the corporate world, it's the smarmy false one who kisses an ass greater than yours who wins. Don't dare say what you really think, as those in power don't want you to think. And not only will they use every means at their disposal to shut you up, they'll make sure that everybody else there is suitably frightened of their almighty power that they will shut up, too.

How did this happen? Seems to me that a company would be better off by treating their employees as equals, asking for and encouraging independent thought, looking for new directions from the people who actually do the real work, listening. I know this doesn't happen and I know that employers succeed through the usual practices of remaining superior while treating the people who actually work as inferiors. I'd love to see some of the highly-educated and self-aggrandizing clowns try to survive out in the true world, not their own self-created world where they trample on others to fulfill their need for egocentric awards and acclaim from other asshats. But, I know that won't ever happen. Oh, and since I am "unemployable," I can say whatever I want about employers. Like Janis sang, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I have nothing left to lose so I am free and get to have a voice. And mine is that if ever anybody starts a company and treats everyone there as equals, that company will not fail.

And, by the way, (ex-) boss, how in the hell do you live with yourself? Quite well, I suppose. Some advice: be sure you hire sheep. You obviously can't deal with wolves.