OT: Jones Soda (Thanksgiving Flavors)

[Scottie]

In response to the statement that governments are businesses, I'd venture to say that those people who are in the business of government have a higher salary than the average American right now. And, that those who are in the business of government are going to go on an continue to have a higher salary once they leave government.

Therefore, I venture to say that governments are infact businesses whose shareholders are its citizens who dump money into their money pool yearly and daily through taxes, and whose employees are among the highest paid civil servants in this country. Governments are businesses, because they have benefactors and dependents, invest back into themselves to maintain public happiness (schools, roads, welfare, etc...) and whose employees turn an endless profit because money will never run out so long as people pay their taxes.

Civil disobedience means to stop paying taxes among other things, and that's one reason I don't pay taxes. I don't owe our government s**t for protecting me. To my defense, I'd say they are threatening my safety and security with their foreign policies that bring anti-American sentiment to people I have no quarrel with, yet who hate me simply because I am American. Which will become a short lived title.

Government is a business, and a very corrupt one at that.

Sorry for the rant. No more politics from me, I swear.

[dean]

Well politics is a business, but like most things, this point is seemingly magnified when viewed from American politics.

Sure, many of our politicians probably earn more than the average Australian, even after/before the leave government, but that isn't so much an issue here. Essentially you can still come up from nothing and become the Prime Minister, something, which whilst possible, seems so much more unlikely in the US.

I guess it just depends on your view of businesses: politics is definitley like a business, yet it is somehow a bit different because it is no mere company, but something a bit greater in the scheme of things.

The idea that big business [not government mind you] is going to spend all their profits back into the company is a little silly however.  How many times do you hear about a company who gives off a 'golden handshake' of millions of dollars to people leaving the company etc.  Well this was a bit of an issue here recently, and I have to say, the way the heads of some companies are percieved is one that is less than favourable...

As for the whole soda thing, unfortunately they are going to keep making stupid flavours if we keep buying them and talking about them.  They obviously put them in a variety pack so we'd spend more money on the stupid cans, since it seems that if you were able to buy just the one can, you would certainly hesitate to buy a second.

Ah well, it doesn't really affect me, since we don't have such wacky flavours here yet, with the most recent odd addition to common 'soda' [we don't call it that] is the Tropical flavoured Pepsi Samba, which I find hard to believe as a flavour which would last, especially since the much simpler Coke with Lime failed miserably.

[Shadowphile]

Check your local corner stores, Ed.  In my area there are half a dozen that carry individual bottles.  Also, if the appear near you, check places like the Bulk Barn.

These odd flavours are intended to spark conversation, since word of mouth is both cheap and effective as advertising.  And, if nobody tried a new untested product on the market, we'd still be living in caves without benefit of furry underwear or fires.....

On a completely seperate note, sparked by the odd thought train which usually accompnaies my ramplings, I give you this thought, stolen from some stand up comedian who's name escapes me at the moment.

'Man invented civilization to impress his girlfriend.'

[ulthar]

Scottie wrote:

>
> Therefore, I venture to say that governments are infact
> businesses whose shareholders are its citizens who dump money
> into their money pool yearly and daily through taxes, and whose
> employees are among the highest paid civil servants in this
> country.


Bzzzzt, wrong.  First of all, MOST government employees are NOT that well paid.  Go down to your county building and see what the average clerk makes.  Some would argue it's hardly a livable wage.  I personally knew some HIGH UP politicians in local government that made a pitiful salary.

It's not much different at the federal level.  You see the ones who make big bucks on the news, but they comprise a VERY small number of the total number of government employees.

Secondly, there is a very, very big difference between the shareholders of a publically traded corporation and the taxed citizens of a nation.  I can sell my shares and have nothing to do with a corporation if I choose, but I deny to pay my taxes under threat of force.  The analogy of business to government is fundamentally flawed for this reason:

In EVERY way, you CHOOSE to interact with a business.  Whether it is as a customer, an employee, a supplier or a shareholder.  You don't choose jack squat about your government, short of voting (and not everyone gets what they want when they vote).

>
> Government is a business, and a very corrupt one at that.
>

See above.  Government might have SOME similarities with business, but the two are distinctly different.  Nor should they be run the same (and they are not run the same).  I won't deny governments are/can be corrupt.

[Just Plain Horse]

In response to your comments, Ulthar, I find myself quite amused...

Government is a business because it pays employees for services and earns money through taxes (and "contributions" from groups of whom you and I are probably better off not knowing about, in the eyes of the employees, much less mentioning here).

You are correct that many government employees don't get paid very well IN SALARY. Ever hear the term "kickbacks"? Ever consider the position of power one has occupying say, a seat in the Senate or the Supreme Court? Perhaps you never had the desire to make the rules that govern others... unfortunately, not everybody is so open-minded.

But let's take a step back from the whole "government is bad" attitude and take a look at the basic behaviours of businesses over the years. Businesses in oil, for instance- like Haliburten... or businesses in telecommunications, like Worldcom. Say, does anybody remember a little business by the name of Enron?