Hostess, A Little Piece of Comics History, Going Out of Business

[Mark_S]

No kidding. They don't call it a 'new gilded age' for no reason.

I've been hearing a lot on this thread about that sort of thing, gilded age, managers out to loot companies... If you think that then go out and start your own business and show them how it is done. What is stopping anyone here from doing that?

[Tendrin]

I've been hearing a lot on this thread about that sort of thing, gilded age, managers out to loot companies... If you think that then go out and start your own business and show them how it is done. What is stopping anyone here from doing that?

You've lost the argument when you've had to resort to this, you realize. "Man, I don't like this car. It's brakes suck." "WELL IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN MAKE A BETTER ONE. GO DO THAT." "But i'm not a businessman or engineer." "SUCK IT UP, THEN."

Recognizing the perverse incentives inherent in our current system doesn't qualify me to run a business. I can *still* say something that sucks sucks, however, and this sucks and is ultimately damaging to the USA, and hardly the USA alone.

Also, maybe because the very companies writing the rules in our new gilded age don't want competition, and draft 'regulation' through ALEC to ensure its pretty difficult to start a new business to compete with the monoliths? ;)

[Mark_S]

You've lost the argument when you've had to resort to this, you realize. "Man, I don't like this car. It's brakes suck." "WELL IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN MAKE A BETTER ONE. GO DO THAT." "But i'm not a businessman or engineer." "SUCK IT UP, THEN."

Recognizing the perverse incentives inherent in our current system doesn't qualify me to run a business. I can *still* say something that sucks sucks, however, and this sucks and is ultimately damaging to the USA, and hardly the USA alone.

Also, maybe because the very companies writing the rules in our new gilded age don't want competition, and draft 'regulation' through ALEC to ensure its pretty difficult to start a new business to compete with the monoliths? ;)

I've lost the argument? Well I'm glad you told me that. Heaven knows I'm just not smart enough to realize it myself.

I can agree that damage is being done to the USA but to tell you the truth I think that the damage has been done. Past tense. It's been a long slide toward the abyss and I think that it is now irreversible. After all if you don't think that a democratic president in his second term can't stop business from writing the laws and regulations then what hope is there? If you don't think that you're qualified to run a business but smart enough to condemn the way others are run then where does that leave things? You're basically ceding the rule to the people you criticizes as greedy and casting yourself in the role of a meaningless critic and further giving yourself the excuse that the current rulers wouldn't let you do it anyway.

So ok, win the argument. Now what?

[Tendrin]

I don't think you understand. You ended the argument the moment you turned around and tried to make this about me and my character and what I'm doing instead of my position, now having admtited that my basic position about the actions and the damage done by them is correct. Instead, you're now turning your attention to my character. They call this an ad hominem attack, I understand.

I don't need to tell you anything about me or what I'm doing about it because it is, frankly, irrelevant to the disussion we *were* having.

What I will say is this: Critcizing is not doing nothing. Criticizing in an open forum is not doing nothing. It is not passive. If it is, then Benjamin Franklin has something to answer for.

[icctrombone]

I don't know if anyone posted this yet but It was a bit disturbing to have a Hostess ad that has a rape attempt as the story.

[The Black Guardian]

I don't know if anyone posted this yet but It was a bit disturbing to have a Hostess ad that has a rape attempt as the story.

That's just your assumption. Maybe they were going to recite Shakespeare. That'll show her what's romantic!

[Ghostwise]

I'm intrigued. Spider-Man crawling out of the river would give away his secret ID, but crawling out of the river and flinging cup cakes doesn't.

This could revolutionise modern physics.