| France has just unveiled a new AGV (Automotrice | | | | but in too many cases, American companies choose |
| Grande Vitesse) train which will travel at speeds of up | | | | not to compete at all. |
| to 224mph. A Japanese train that runs suspended | | | | The question is why? |
| over the tracks by magnetic levitation is even faster | | | | The answer lies in a difficult to draw, subtle distinction |
| -more than 360 miles an hour. Our fastest trains run at | | | | between companies that provide products and |
| the rate of 54mph, still being propelled by diesel-electric | | | | services to be in business, and companies that are in |
| engines that were developed in the 1940s. | | | | business to provide products and services. Many |
| The Organization for Economic Co-operation and | | | | would ask, what's the difference? |
| Development (OECD) report says 60% of its member | | | | Those that provide products and services to be in |
| countries' net users are now on broadband. The report | | | | business, have their eyes on the bottom line while |
| said countries that have switched to fiber networks | | | | those that are in business to provide products and |
| have the best speeds at the lowest prices. In Japan | | | | services, have their eyes on the assembly line. The |
| net users have 100Mbps lines and upload at the same | | | | former companies are characterized by "one fewer |
| speed they download, which is not possible with ADSL | | | | olive in each jar to provide a greater return." Shoppers |
| (broadband over a telephone line) and most cable | | | | find companies like these every day while shopping in |
| subscriptions. Sweden, Korea and Finland also offer | | | | grocery stores; companies that reduce the quantity |
| 100Mbps net connections. Additionally, Japan's price per | | | | inside the box without reducing the size of the box or |
| Mbit/s is the lowest in the OECD at $22.00 per month. | | | | the price. |
| Americans like to believe that American companies | | | | Many American companies do not even attempt to |
| are on the cutting edge of technology, but they are | | | | provide high-quality products. Consider the huge |
| not. In fact American companies have a history of | | | | nutritional supplements industry. It would be neither |
| falling behind, even with technologies introduced in | | | | difficult nor expensive to subject the many vitamins, |
| America, such as the Internet. | | | | minerals, and herbal concoctions marketed to |
| Robert H. Goddard, an American, launched a | | | | double-blind testing. But the nutritional supplements |
| liquid-propellant rocket in 1926. The Germans were | | | | industry does not want to do that, because it doesn't |
| bombarding England with intercontinental ballistic | | | | care whether its products are effective or not. The |
| missiles in the 1940. But when the Russians launched | | | | quality of products is not the industry's concern; only |
| the first satellite into space, and America went into | | | | the bottom line is. The American fast-food industry |
| crisis mode to respond, we watched attempted rocket | | | | doesn't care whether its products are nutritious or |
| launch after attempted rocket launch explode on | | | | even conducive to their customers' health. What it |
| launching pads. It was only after we gave U.S. | | | | cares about is the bottom line. And if its products |
| citizenship to a group of World-war II German war | | | | contribute to the ill health of Americans, well, that's just |
| criminals that we managed to learn how rocketry | | | | too bad, but of no concern to the industry. |
| worked. Between 1926 and the launching of John | | | | Americans hold absolutely ludicrous ideas about the |
| Glenn into orbit, no American company had any | | | | nature of business. It is said, for instance, that the only |
| interest in rocketry. | | | | stake-holders a company is responsible to are its |
| Again during World-war II, American industrial might | | | | shareholders, even though companies often appear to |
| could not build small arms, tanks, or airplanes that | | | | be operated for the benefit of their officers. Yet a |
| matched the quality of those built by the Germans and | | | | business is a social entity, created in accordance with |
| those 'backward' Russians. American M4 Sherman | | | | the laws of the society it exists in, and as such, has |
| tanks were no match for the German VI Tiger or | | | | the same social responsibilities that all citizens have. To |
| even the Russian T-series tanks. And it was only after | | | | hold otherwise can have disastrous national |
| Americans got to reverse engineer captured German | | | | consequences, for if a company's only responsibility is |
| jet fighters after the war ended that we learned how | | | | to make money for its stockholders, even profitable, |
| to build jet airplanes. | | | | treasonous acts would be permissible. If China or |
| The American steel industry collapsed in the face of | | | | Russia or any other nation is willing to pay enormously |
| imports of steel from Japan, whose steelmakers were | | | | high amounts for military secrets, how can a company |
| using newer technology which was available to but | | | | be prohibited from selling them if the company's only |
| never utilized by American steelmakers. American | | | | responsibility is to its shareholders who would be made |
| healthcare suffers when compared to the healthcare | | | | wealthy by the sale? |
| people in other industrial countries receive, something | | | | The absurd idea that businesses exist only to make |
| so well known that no further comment is required. | | | | money for their owners is why Americans do not |
| So why do Americans experience lower quality | | | | enjoy the quality of products and services that are |
| products and services than the citizens of other | | | | available to citizens of other industrialized nations. |
| industrial countries? The only possible reason is that | | | | Implementing newer technology costs money, which at |
| American companies do not want to provide them. | | | | least temporarily reduces the return to owners. |
| Those running our railroads don't want to build and run | | | | America will not be a nation that operates on the |
| high-speed trains, and American telephone and cable | | | | cutting edge until everyone realizes that companies, |
| isps don't want to provide Americans with 100Mb | | | | just as individual citizens, have responsibilities not only |
| service. The American steel industry did not want to | | | | to their shareholders, but to their employees, their |
| invest in newer technology; it chose, instead, to go out | | | | suppliers, their customers, to society in general, and to |
| of business. And the American automotive industry | | | | the nation which enables them to operate. Nations that |
| seems to be headed to extinction too. Americans like | | | | fail to enforce these responsibilities are doomed to |
| to think of America as the great arena of competition, | | | | mediocrity if not complete failure. |