Profit The Companies example essay topic

1. concern with profits makes the companies insensitive to individual rights. e.g. the majority of the US oil companies support the war in Iraq. Cheap terrorist Iraqi oil will result in higher profits for these companies who support the idea of war despite numerous deaths. The majority of the US military companies support the war in iraq because they are able to sell the means of waging war and killing people. 2. When seeking profit the companies do not care about anything else. e.g. in Amsterdam it is legal to smoke pot and eat LSD. Drug industry is a profitable business and no one cares about the effects of drugs on the drug users.

Prostitution is legal in Nevada and Thailand, and it is a profitable business, too. No one ever thought about the mental problems the prostitutes might develop later in their lives. Why care if at present they make money to themselves and pimps? 3.

The companies that think about the profits fail to do the needed things now but rather think about doing the most profitable thing in the first place. The concept of opportunity cost and the fact that the investment should be maximized causes the companies to think about creating a nuclear power plant rather than a hydropower plant if the nuclear power plant gives a higher return on investment. Thus a company might think about creating some junk food (which is profitable) rather than invest in less popular super-healthy-not-tasty food. The company does not care if the junk-food users get obese or sick and thus, less productive, or happy. IV. Present (in your own words) the weak points of both sides. side 1 (Yes): 1.

Although the profit orientation makes the companies think of creating something new, indeed, they think about consumerism of the product not about its true need to the society. 2. Although many drugs were created for the profits yet cure many diseases, many sophisticated weapons were created for profits and depriving other peoples lives. side 2 (No): 1. if companies do not think about profits in the first place, they would not be able to create progress or many new choices for other people. 3. if company do think about individuals, they may be put out of business by the companies that think only about profits. 4. if companies do not think about the profits they would lack motivation to succeed. V. Draw conclusion supporting side 2 (NO). In conclusion it should be noted that although the two sides appear to have their strong and weak points the side NO (the companies should not think only about profits) seems to be the most reasonable and logical solution for both the long and short run. The fact that we currently witness numerous ecological changes, the presence of numerous diseases caused by pollution or untested chemical that was allowed to be used certainly makes us think about the relative safety that the companies should assure regardless of cost. Thousands of people who witness their close ones die from lung cancer, or dozens of those who lost their kids in the Iraqi war for cheap oil, although have different opinions from Phillip Morris, or Texaco or United Technologies (who benefit from these deaths), still have the right to be heard regardless of the irrationality of their opinions from the profit-oriented point of view.

SOURCE: Taking Sides, Clashing Views on Controversial Economic Issue. By, Thomas R. Swartz and Frank J. Bo nello.