Friday, March 17, 2006

A Digression into Theology

Whether you have a religious belief or not, here is a question to consider:

What is the logic behind "The Fall"? God is said to love all of his creatures. This means he would love, among others, the tiger, even though the tiger devours other animals including the occasional human being. The tiger is following his nature when he preys on other creatures, and in so doing is not committing a sin. Instead he is being a true tiger worthy of God's love.
God also created the angels, including Lucifer. Being all-knowing, God would not be surprised at any of his creatures' actions, so he would expect Lucifer to become the great tempter of humanity. So just as the tiger fulfills his role in the world by being a true tiger, Satan is living up to God's expectations when he promotes the "downfall of man", and in so doing is worthy of God's love. As with the tiger eating in order to survive, Satan fulfills his mission by taking man's soul to hell. Is the act of one being consuming another for nourishment an expression of the divine order? Is the process of man losing his soul to the devil a manifestation of God's love? If so, is there such a thing as evil?

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Still More on Democracy

You mention that companies that belong to the shareholders have some measure of democracy. This of course is democracy among the owners and not among the employees. I guess when I think of democracy in terms of business, I think about it in the workplace, among the employees and not among the owners. The owners will of course have a lot of power over the employees -- whether the owners are shareholders or one or a small handful of individuals. The owners of a business having a say is not such a big deal to me. It's more of a given. But when the employees have a say -- now that's democracy in the world of business that is of interest to me.


You are right. True democracy at the workplace is set among the employees. The best set-up in my opinion is one in which the employees are also the owners, which does happen in some rare instances. Of course, no matter what the structure, some members, whether or not they are employees or not, will have more power and influence. The greatest assurance for the existence of democracy in the workplace is a deep-rooted democratic value system of mutual respect between managers and managed, and among peers.


Thursday, February 23, 2006

More on Democracy

Hi,I am curious, how do you see democracy working in the context of business? I agree that it at the very least bringing elements of democracy into a business structure makes good business sense, but an organization can also easily get bogged down in consensus and also eventually suffer from an inability to make decisions effectively when it is too consensus driven. What do you think?

---It all depends on the type and size of the firm. With large firms the presence of a union (within which there are always votes taken on major issues) provides a welcome checks and balances element. Then there is the issue of ownership: Countries are, theoretically at least, owned by all of its citizens, so a good constitution like that of the U.S. can lay the groundwork for democracy. Large firms, on the other hand, belonging to the shareholders, have some measure of democracy when the shareholders vote in regards to who will manage the company. Of course, in the case of shareholders they are by no means equal: money determines voting power.
The management of a large company has the option of either setting up democratic structures within the framework of the company, e.g. the various departments will each have a voice, or the management can simply dictate policies. It makes better sense to allow as many voices to be heard as possible, as this will enrich the options available to top management. As to how much democracy there can be in a given business will need to be determined by a number of factors, not the least of which is the nature of the business. A law firm, for instance, or an enterprise with equally gifted scientists will have it easier to have a democratic decision-making structure than a complex factory.
A rule of thumb might be: the more democratic elements a business can maintain in its operation without stiffling quick decision making when it is needed, the better it is

Monday, February 20, 2006

Why Democracy?

Hello Folks,
I am working on a statement, or you might say essay or whatever, that shows why democracy is a better structure than dictatorship in any social organization whether a national government, a business structure, a non-profit organization or even a family. I am also working to show what kinds of policies, actions and attitudes inhibit individual fulfillment necessary for having a democratic society. How can a public that actively participates in governing a country be reduced to being nothing more than obedient followers of a leader? How is the public fooled into accepting policies that bring about its own economic demise and how can the same public be brought to see through the sham? Let me know what ideas you might want to share.
Till later,