Putting Profits before Principles

[Adam's Apple]

Capitalism Comes Full Circle
By Julia Gorin
May 22, 2006

"The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them."— Vladimir Ilich Lenin

After not stocking Free Inquiry Magazine because it contained the Mohammed cartoons, Borders Bookstores went a step further. Last month, the Little Green Footballs blog posted a letter from a Borders employee reporting that, in response to complaints by Muslim customers who found Korans stocked anywhere other than the top shelf, the book chain now stocks the Koran only on the top shelf. JihadWatch had this follow-up:

"Maybe this is a clue as to why the Qur'an must not be stocked below the top shelf at Borders: "Borders(R) and Al Maya Group Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Borders Franchise in United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council Countries," from Yahoo!

"'Borders Inc., a subsidiary of global book, music and movie retailer Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP - News), announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Al Maya Group, a diversified corporation headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, to establish a franchise arrangement under which Al Maya will operate Borders stores in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.'"

The first comment below the post read, "Let me see, Korans on top shelf, no Salman Rushdie books, no books on anti-Islam or anti-Koran or anti-Muhammed. No books on Jews and Isreal unless it's about Holocoust denial. Seems the capitalists are determined to sell our freedoms for a few tokens of gold."

Indeed, it looks like we're seeing capitalism coming full circle, as businesses place profits over principles on a very macro scale. Another glaring, more well-known, example was Google, MSN and Yahoo agreeing to the Chinese government's censorship requirements in order to do business with that second-largest Internet market. When Chinese citizens type words like "democracy", "freedom", "human rights" (or other "profanities") into these search engines, they get an error page. While search engines are hardly the only ones culpable for doing business with China, their product is information, and they're willing to corrupt it for profits. And that's the least of the problem.

for full article:
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/julia/gorin052206.php3

 

[dilloduck]

Capitalism Comes Full Circle
By Julia Gorin
May 22, 2006

"The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them."— Vladimir Ilich Lenin

After not stocking Free Inquiry Magazine because it contained the Mohammed cartoons, Borders Bookstores went a step further. Last month, the Little Green Footballs blog posted a letter from a Borders employee reporting that, in response to complaints by Muslim customers who found Korans stocked anywhere other than the top shelf, the book chain now stocks the Koran only on the top shelf. JihadWatch had this follow-up:

"Maybe this is a clue as to why the Qur'an must not be stocked below the top shelf at Borders: "Borders(R) and Al Maya Group Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Borders Franchise in United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council Countries," from Yahoo!

"'Borders Inc., a subsidiary of global book, music and movie retailer Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP - News), announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Al Maya Group, a diversified corporation headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, to establish a franchise arrangement under which Al Maya will operate Borders stores in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.'"

The first comment below the post read, "Let me see, Korans on top shelf, no Salman Rushdie books, no books on anti-Islam or anti-Koran or anti-Muhammed. No books on Jews and Isreal unless it's about Holocoust denial. Seems the capitalists are determined to sell our freedoms for a few tokens of gold."

Indeed, it looks like we're seeing capitalism coming full circle, as businesses place profits over principles on a very macro scale. Another glaring, more well-known, example was Google, MSN and Yahoo agreeing to the Chinese government's censorship requirements in order to do business with that second-largest Internet market. When Chinese citizens type words like "democracy", "freedom", "human rights" (or other "profanities") into these search engines, they get an error page. While search engines are hardly the only ones culpable for doing business with China, their product is information, and they're willing to corrupt it for profits. And that's the least of the problem.

for full article:
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/julia/gorin052206.php3

By "full circle" do you mean that the capitalism that used to help us is now starting to hurt us ?

 

[CSM]

My initial thought is that Lenin was wrong; of course, the world hasn't ended yet so it is possible he was right. I dont think so though.

 

[5stringJeff]

If this bothers you, don't shop at Borders.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

We should have never started trading with enemies. When did that become a good idea?

 

[Hobbit]

See, and the point of captialism is to make sure that profits and principles end up counting for the same. I will no longer shop and Borders, and I don't use Google, Yahoo, or especially MSN.

 

[Adam's Apple]

If this bothers you, don't shop at Borders.

There's a lot more about that article that bothers me than just shopping at Borders.

 

[5stringJeff]

There's a lot more about that article that bothers me than just shopping at Borders.

And that's fine. But the answer remains: if you don't like a company's practices, don't do business with that company. That's the beauty of the free market.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

And that's fine. But the answer remains: if you don't like a company's practices, don't do business with that company. That's the beauty of the free market.

And if you don't want the UAE To control port operations well then, umm, screw you.

 

[5stringJeff]

And if you don't want the UAE To control port operations well then, umm, screw you.

There would have been plenty of other ports not run by the Dubai company in question. So your analogy fails.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

There would have been plenty of other ports not run by the Dubai company in question. So your analogy fails.

No. Your assertion that individuals can opt out of the insane things being done in the name of "free trade" is what fails.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Capitalism Comes Full Circle
By Julia Gorin
May 22, 2006

"The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them."— Vladimir Ilich Lenin

After not stocking Free Inquiry Magazine because it contained the Mohammed cartoons, Borders Bookstores went a step further. Last month, the Little Green Footballs blog posted a letter from a Borders employee reporting that, in response to complaints by Muslim customers who found Korans stocked anywhere other than the top shelf, the book chain now stocks the Koran only on the top shelf. JihadWatch had this follow-up:

"Maybe this is a clue as to why the Qur'an must not be stocked below the top shelf at Borders: "Borders(R) and Al Maya Group Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Borders Franchise in United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council Countries," from Yahoo!

"'Borders Inc., a subsidiary of global book, music and movie retailer Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP - News), announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Al Maya Group, a diversified corporation headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, to establish a franchise arrangement under which Al Maya will operate Borders stores in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.'"

The first comment below the post read, "Let me see, Korans on top shelf, no Salman Rushdie books, no books on anti-Islam or anti-Koran or anti-Muhammed. No books on Jews and Isreal unless it's about Holocoust denial. Seems the capitalists are determined to sell our freedoms for a few tokens of gold."

Indeed, it looks like we're seeing capitalism coming full circle, as businesses place profits over principles on a very macro scale. Another glaring, more well-known, example was Google, MSN and Yahoo agreeing to the Chinese government's censorship requirements in order to do business with that second-largest Internet market. When Chinese citizens type words like "democracy", "freedom", "human rights" (or other "profanities") into these search engines, they get an error page. While search engines are hardly the only ones culpable for doing business with China, their product is information, and they're willing to corrupt it for profits. And that's the least of the problem.

for full article:
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/julia/gorin052206.php3

A business is nothing more than the alter ego of a man (or group of investors). It is a private enterprise and I don't think the government should have any say so as to what kind of books they stock.

There are plenty of people who support the Left agenda and those beliefs are reflected in their businesses. I don't think it is "capitalism" per se that is going to "hang" the U.S. but the fools in our free capitalistic society who for profit allow themselves to be used by our enemies to infiltrate and sabatoge our country. In that sense, Lenin was right.

 

[5stringJeff]

No. Your assertion that individuals can opt out of the insane things being done in the name of "free trade" is what fails.

Fine. If you think that American consumers do not actually have the ability to participate in free trade, Comrade RWA, please show me a non-governmental monopoly that exists in America.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Fine. If you think that American consumers do not actually have the ability to participate in free trade, Comrade RWA, please show me a non-governmental monopoly that exists in America.

They can participate in it. But an individual cannot undo the damage of a strategic asset (port) being held by an enemy (UAE) should the war on islamic terrorism go south.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

That's right. Now I'm a communist.