Home Depot founder says rise of ‘socialism’ makes people too lazy for work. Is he right?

Is our society getting fat and lazy? The co-founder of Home Depot thinks so.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Bernie Marcus says he wouldn’t be successful if he started his chain of home-improvement stores today.

“We would end up with 15, 16 stores,” Marcus said. “I don’t know that we could go further.”

Marcus says he’s worried about capitalism, which he called the “basis” of Home Depot. What does he blame for this. Laziness, even socialism.

“Nobody works. Nobody gives a damn. ‘Just give it to me. Send me money. I don’t want to work — I’m too lazy, I’m too fat, I’m too stupid.’ ” he says.

”Marcus sounds like a bit of a grumpy guy, but at 93 years old, the entrepreneur may have seen a few things and come by that opinion honestly.

A 2020 poll from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation showed that 40% of Americans have a favorable view of socialism. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez both pronounce socialist sentiments, and both have large, loyal followings.

Even more surprising is just how socialism has creeped its way into our culture of ideas. “The crash of 2008, rising inequality, and an intensifying critique of how contemporary capitalism works has brought socialism back into the mainstream,” write E. J. Dionne Jr. and William A. Galston of the Brookings Institution, a center-left think tank in Washington.

COVID-related stimulus monies and unemployment packages sent some people down the path of favoring handouts over working, as Marcus observed. In 2021, and perhaps still today, some industries were struggling to fill jobs. People cited robust unemployment checks, thanks to an added $300 under the American Rescue Act that discouraged people from re-entering the workforce.

A 2021 Wall Street Journal described the work-around this way: A family with two unemployed parents could double up on unemployment benefits, meaning $600 in weekly bonus payments, on top of normal benefits that average about $375 a week for each parent. Add in virtually free health insurance from ObamaCare expansions and free premiums for those who stay on their former employer’s plan, food stamps and $3,000-a-child payments.

On top of all that, recipients of government benefits don’t have to pay payroll taxes. People with jobs do.

With socialism, as in many political ideologies, there appears to be a significant gap between desire and reality, between utopia and real life.Gen Zers said in a recent poll they need a $171,000 per year salary to feel “financially healthy.”

So which one is it? Do they want to work and make $14,000 a month in gross income, more than triple what the median American worker brings home per year (which is $54,132)? Or do they want handouts?

This disconnect — embracing socialism as a socioeconomic good but realizing it actually prevents people from earning the kind of living they dream of — is one of the aspects schools, parents, and mentors should focus on when it comes to teaching children about money, politics, and how things work in America.

Socialism as a basis for government, has failed every time it’s been tried — and there’s good reason for that. With socialism as the foundation, an average person couldn’t make close to what Gen Z aspires to earn. Yet that generation continues to view socialism through rose-colored glasses. The irony of this escapes them.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hom...-rise-180633348.html

Reading the comments following the article will show the problem clearly. The brain washed ignorance is mind numbing.

"Socialism is the only way everybody wins"

Geez

Just off the top of my head, without much thought, what Margret Thatcher said made perfect dense & required no further discussion. Paraphrasing. “Eventually you run out of other peoples money.”

Largely, I agree with Mr. Marcus. Socialism, Communism, Marxism, Progressiveism once had stigmatisms attached to them (lot of isms there ), but have gradually been promoted and adopted.

Hard work, creativity, initiative, were once valued and commonplace on the job, in schools and colleges, even at home and in the community.

I do think the acceptance of Socialism has eroded work ethic, as well as eroded realistic expectations of what equality ( equity) actually means.

But, I think it's too simplistic to blame only Socialism for eroded work ethic.

A failure to encourage national pride in our country (warts and all), a failure to teach history, or allowing revisionist history to be taught, a decay of morals and civility, a failure to demonstrate or place value on hard work, all play a large part.

I think technology has played a significant role in the erosion of work ethics, as well. I'm not a Luddite, I have and use tech devices, and have worked in the tech sector for years. But I come from a generation that valued hard work and taking pride in a job, so I see tech as nothing more than a tool to improve efficiency and productivity, a means to an end.

I believe younger generations have been so indoctrinated and immersed in technology that they no longer see the need to work. Let the tech do all the work for you... simply press a button and allow the machine or robot to do all the work for you while you are told what a wonderful job you are doing, allowing you more time to slack off and wonder why you aren't paid more.

There are those, especially younger generations, that seem to worship at the altar of technology. As if it can solve any problem or eliminate the need to do any work.

I'm not opposed to the use of technology... I'm opposed to our increasing reliance on it... and, at the speed-of-light rate of tech evolution, I'm greatly concerned whether we (especially younger generations) have the wisdom to use it wisely.

I see examples of eroded work ethic and a lack of pride in one's work on an almost daily occurrence... and so I try to single out and highlight those workers that still work hard, show creativity, and take pride in their work.

It gets increasingly more depressing and concerning to go into a job, or even in public businesses, where so few workers see the value in hard work.

Young workers on the job need experienced leaders that take the time to both model and recognize hard work and job pride.

I think he's have been better off not calling it Socialism out but keeping the rest.
I'm not saying that to in any way defend Socialism but to not lose the focus on the problem over name calling. Technically Socialism is just an just economic system and the problem goes deeper than that.
The problem is just a general rot in society and a lowering of standards to the lowest common denominator. Both Socialism and Crony Capitalism are factors but only part of the story.

I don't think it necessarily makes one lazy.

More like complacent to give up freedom for security.

You are more or less a prisoner that has no real ambition but to simply survive.

At least that is my view.

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:
Largely, I agree with Mr. Marcus. Socialism, Communism, Marxism, Progressiveism once had stigmatisms attached to them (lot of isms there ), but have gradually been promoted and adopted.

They were first redefined to be something wholesome. They were framed as being self-less for the benefit of either everybody or for the benefit of the unlucky. Anyone who opposed those -isms was portrayed as a dastardly selfish jerk.

The left never engages in calm, factual discussions of the real world aspects of these ideologies. So I would disagree with you in nit-picky way that those -isms weren't themselves promoted, rather the left created a false premise which they promoted about who the good people are.

I think this is why it is seemingly impossible to discuss so many things rationally with leftists. They are not processing facts or concepts, they are entrenched in believing conservatives are evil hearted people. Anything said by someone identified as conservative must by definition be false. Anything said by someone perceived as not-conservative is by definition true and good.

I'm not at all religious, but this Bible quote comes to mind:

2 Thessalonians 3:10

"If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

I agree with his wording to a point. If capitalism does not survive, neither will we.

It seems by the comments that most of the people in the comments, have no idea that Marcus and Blanc no longer own the company. Once they left, the company went to crap. I believe they have had a few CEOs that ran it into the ground. One was Nardelli who was the front runner for ending all of the good raises and positions at Home Depot.

I think the bailouts, loans, stimulus checks and other largesse are more characteristic of a welfare state than actual socialism. Maybe it's a distinction without a difference, I don't know. I certainly didn't refuse my stimulus payments.

quote:

2 Thessalonians 3:10

"If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

I think Vladimir Lenin said something like that, too.

By definition, socialism means embracing slavery.

It is evil, by definition, as a result.

I think the real issue is the amount of drug use, at a young age, has wrecked their ability to think.

There are absolutely staggering class differences among the kids I have working for me - not economic as much as social.

Essentially, the kids from religious/military/health nut/athletic families are doing really well - and incredibly on the ball.

The rest are done. At first, we thought they were all on the spectrum, and eventually realized it’s a result of the early drug use.

Speaking of socialists and socialism, a large group of socialists are meeting this week in Davos I believe. The World Economic Forum.

That's not comforting given the state of the world.

RMD

quote:

Speaking of socialists and socialism, a large group of socialists are meeting this week in Davos I believe. The World Economic Forum.

But, without Klaus?

The World Economic Forum kicks off its swanky annual meeting today in Davos, Switzerland, where private-plane loads of taxpayer-funded politicians gobble up crudités and mediocre champagne while talking nonsense about how vexing individual rights can be. Normally I don’t bother running stories about Clown Schwab, sorry, I mean Klaus, of course, easy mistake to make, anyone could do it.

Anyway, this appeared in my feed and caught my eye for some reason:

A health issue? Klaus?

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com...ack&utm_medium=email

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
By definition, socialism means embracing slavery.
It is evil, by definition, as a result.

I agree.
It doesn't matter what name you give it, it means surrendering your God-given, individual freedom.

Do we still believe in the principles of the Declaration of Independence?

Amid all the clash of conflicting interests, amid all the welter of partisan politics, every American can turn for solace and consolation to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States with the assurance and confidence that those two great charters of freedom and justice remain firm and unshaken. Whatever perils appear, whatever dangers threaten, the Nation remains secure in the knowledge that the ultimate application of the law of the land will provide an adequate defense and protection.

https://coolidgefoundation.org...ion-of-independence/