Useless employees, large and small Part 4

I remember this guy that I used to hang out with several hundred years ago named David Hughes, although nobody knew his name was David. Everybody called him Buddy. Buddy was one of those guys that you wanted to hang around with because you knew that cool would rub off him and stick to you.
He was the first person I heard use the expression “Opinions are like ^#(&%@’s; everybody’s got one.” I’ve heard other people use it, and I’ve even tried to clean it up using “noses” instead of “^#(&%@’s”, but somehow it doesn’t have the same wallop.
Well, I have an opinion on the subject of early American history: If you can read the events of those years without a sense of awe and excitement, you need to see a doctor, or at least turn the television off for a few months.
And if you can read the events of those years without wishing you’d see the face of virtually every American politician on a milk carton, you need a one-way ticket to Botswana.
So, why do I have these opinions? Because not a single federal politician, with the apparent exception of Ron Paul, knows what their job is. I do, so over the next few days, I’ll illustrate not only what their job is, but why it is what it is, and why Bulldog Two Three Alpha’s objectives are essential components of good citizenship…
Years ago, I used to work for an appliance outfit. Unlike the corporate whores that run places like Circus City and Beast Buy, the owner of this business was actually a businessman. He understood that goods going out the door were being purchased by human beings that populated the same planet he lived on. He actually cared about both them and their experience. This concern motivated him to join a buying group.
A buying group consists of different businesses owners who provide similar services and who join together to combine their purchasing power. When the storeowners decide they need to buy a supply of, say, washing machines, they are able to approach a manufacturer with larger unit purchases, which results in a lower per-unit price. This results in lower prices for inventory and higher profits for the business. When they consist of honorable businessmen, buying groups result in better services for the consumer, as lowered costs are passed on in the form of reduced selling prices, no-cost extras, free delivery, or other benefits. In all, it’s a win-win situation.
And it’s also a simple concept, so hang onto it as we go along – you’ll need it later: Combining forces provides benefits for all involved, but it must be done with integrity and an understanding that a small sacrifice of self-interest results in greater gain for everyone. Most reasonable folks would call this a no-brainer.
Next time, we’ll get back to the immediate aftermath of the British government’s decision to create thirteen sovereign nations out of what were previously thirteen colonies, and the results of their silly attempt to put the genie back in the bottle. Then we’ll talk about what happens when the buying group goes off the deep end, and why useless employees need to be fired.