Monday, October 24, 2011

100% Tired of 99% Cry-Babies. Get with it - Create Something!

WHAT'S YOUR PERCENTAGE SCORE??

Q: You're one of the 1%? 

A:  Guilty, I guess by some observers, I may be part of the 1%. But what does that mean to you?  To me it signifies that I'm in the one percent of people who's bust-ass, never give in/up/out work ethic CREATED jobs last year. I am proud of the fact that my company gave out raises to 25% of our employees last year, bonused managers – twice - and is on track to grow both gross revenue and net profit. What did it take to do that? People.  People who aren't afraid, feel entitled or are given to sitting back and expecting salvation to jump out of their TV set and into their wallet.

I don't mind paying my fair share of taxes to support valid social programs. But, I especially don't mind national sovereignty and moveable type. I take great exception to layabout neo-socialists that want to re-distribute my get-up and go.

I don't make the magic $250K that has been bantered around the Hill as the definition of "rich", not by a long shot. Well under that. But, in lieu of bailing out of small business ownership and sending another 24 hard-working wage earners into the un-employment rolls, I looked outside my own company and took on another full-time job.  Yep, I’ve got two of those now!  Seems to be the "responsible" thing since my team relies on me to make sound business decisions and I value their contribution to my success thusfar. Now, which is a better and more productive form of altruism/philanthropy - giving a fish or teaching to fish?

I really didn’t want to take a turn toward the biblical reference, but it applies. I believe that my greater contribution is in the creation of things, not the DOnation. Our economic world is monkeyed with on a scale that I can't conceive - don't want to conceive - won't every be part of the congnoscenti who are allowed to conceive of it. So, I do what I think is right, dodge bullets and try to help good people tap in to their power to create, please and develop others to do the same. That's service I guess - to Man, Country, God, Baal, Buddha, whatever.

I don't see a movement at all. I see social media capable of creating an overnight bumpersticker culture and some social disorder. As you've seen me post lately - "the revolution will not be televised" - well, I don't think it will be on Facebook either. It's underway and it will not be announced.

The "99%" have no idea who the mythical "1%" are.  Everybody would like to be part of a group, but which group? Social responsibility is not a function of paying taxes or a numerical formula. Morals and ethics are the missing links.  My 1% hungry tired ass just ordered 99% pure Thai food from the family of immigrant entrepreneurs up the road. YES, even though I am a chef, we order take out! Should I have given the (likely meth addicted) vagrant kids in Crystal City my $45 dollars or the Thais? Who would create a job and who would create a bigger buzz?

I’ve quickly grown 100% tired of this red herring - catch-phrase, social media fueled, flavor of the month.  It will only take 1% more postings about “occupy ___” for me use 99% of my foot to occupy 100% of some lazy hippie’s backside.

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