Death to the pizza man!

Here's a little something that's been making the rounds.

Seen this pop up a few times on the fringes of my social media streams.  This is supposedly a quote from the head guy of Papa John's pizza.  I say 'supposedly' because despite my requesting proof that he actually said this no one has been able to provide any.  No one's posted a video clip or a link to a reliable source.  So, we have a "quote" attributed to a businessman with no proof whatsoever, but its attached to one of those demotivational posters, so it must be legit, right?

I'm doubting anyone actually said this because "excessive profits" is a term only used by pinheads who don't like successful people.  These folks are out there, obviously.  They labor their lives under the assumption that if someone is successful then they must have done something horrible to be so.  Its pretty much jealousy.  Its the sort of simple-mindedness that leads to people making such images an posting them in the internet for the like-minded dimwits to "like", "plus", retweet, and share.

Of course the image fails under any sort of objectionable scrutiny.  Replace the term "excessive profits" with " success".  A business owner is under no obligation to share profits with workers.  They took the risk.  They paid the wages.  They rear the rewards.  They can use those profits to expand their business and create new jobs.  They can offer raises and/or bonuses to staff.  They can keep the money and do things like buy beach houses which need maintenance and keep certain hammer-swinging, karate-teaching, comic-drawing goons gainfully employed and letting them pay their mortgages.  So, no, trickle down economics is not debunked in any way shape of form by this.

But the jealous folks are still going to try to make their point.  Frankly, it just make me want to get a pizza.  But a recent post led to personal attacks against the Papa John's fella and it seems like the biggest beef the rabble can come up with is that the guy doesn't like the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare).  Can't say as I blame him as most business owners don't think to kindly of the Government telling them what sort of benefits they better provide and they had better be ready to pay through the nose for it.  Then again, I doubt the people who are railing against pizza guy have ever had to make a payroll.

But here's where it got ridiculous and I had to copy this gem.

This bastard admitted he would rather fire people than give them health care by reducing his profit margin or requesting a few cents more per pizza.   
If this was the French Revolution people would be oiling guillotines over statements like that. 

So the answer to business practices that we don't like is decapitation?  And the pizza guy is the bastard here?

First up, the guy who made the comment seems to have no idea what the French Revolution was actually about.  Here's a summary.

Did you watch all three parts?

Done yet?

Cool.

So, the guy who made the comment somehow thinks that a person not charging more for food would be at risk of getting his head chopped off during the french Revolution in which the biggest problems of the time were people starving and national debt?  Really?  Because it seemed like a lot of problems were caused the a government not being able to get its crap together, over-reaching horribly, and people being so desperate to eat that they lashed out.

Quick note: revolutions tend to happen when people can't eat.  Keep that in mind the next time you read a news story about how much the government spends on food stamps.

But let's circles this all back together.

We have people who think they are smart due to them talking in too many echo chambers.  They have their romantic ideal about how things should work and instead of espousing why their ideas are good they tear down everyone who doesn't agree with them.  They talk of intelligence while taking leave of their reason.  The speak of compassion while wishing for horrible things to happen to those they don't like.  Fortunately, while they think they are a majority, they really aren't.

So, the lesson for today is simple: work hard and smart.  Don't be afraid of being a success.  There will always be those who don't like you because you succeed where they do not.  You can't let them stop you from achieving your dreams.

Be good.

And eat more pizza.