Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

I'm an alcohol addict and I have a decent job

good enough job to pay for Budweiser, Johnny Black, Tito's and Bombay Sapphire

No Yuengling for you - 1 year

I cannot speak for the entirety of the private sector, but I've never missed a payment, and I can't print money.

I'm thinking most others haven't either. The quickest way to be out of business is to skip payments to the government.

Oh, I thought you meant in the grand scale with externalities, not just the accounting.

Then again, the failure rate of small businesses is super high, and sometimes big businesses fail, and they’re allowed to keep being because of the disruption their failure brings. It’s a weird world for sure. (And you with an honest and thriving small business that treats folks well represents the best of it, but alas not the widest swath of it)

The problem with the private sector (at least the big companies) is that every time there's a decision to be made between profits and ethics, profits always wins.  Even when the ethical route is chosen, it's because of long-term profits. 

Perpetual, quarterly growth is not sustainable. 

And you know this happens EVERY TIME how exactly?

EVERY TIME strikes me as a generalization.

And of course there are legal considerations.  Many companies show evidence of long term growth in sales at least annually.  If they contract it can be because of selling off a unit.  Companies exist to make a profit for their owners, so they do tend to focus on that.

There are of course nonprofit CORPORATIONS.  A for profit company is going to focus on making a profit, usually within the legal boundaries.  I'm not sure what ethical decisions have to do with it often as not given that ethics is a judgment.

Where I worked, for example, would not delve into the alcohol business, for one thing.  Was that ethics?  Or not?

There are of course nonprofit CORPORATIONS.  A for profit company is going to focus on making a profit, usually within the legal boundaries.  I'm not sure what ethical decisions have to do with it often as not given that ethics is a judgment.

Where I worked, for example, would not delve into the alcohol business, for one thing.  Was that ethics?  Or not?

Many of those also suck on the government tit. There are some good ones, but mostly not. Many non-profits exist simply to line the pockets of their officers.

Many of those also suck on the government tit. There are some good ones, but mostly not. Many non-profits exist simply to line the pockets of their officers.

Is there a functional difference between lining the pockets of the owners or of the officers?

Of course there is. Think about it.

I mean - obviously owners want to make money.  But officers don't want their company to go out of business, and have a vested financial interest in keeping things afloat.