The Black Hats

How Hollywood of me to think in terms of black hats -- bad guys -- and white hats -- good ones.  But have you ever noticed this?  No matter how black hat a person wants to behave, he/she still wants to be seen as a white hat.


So, how are all the black hat behaving people going to like being recognized as black hats when people finally take note?  Probably not very well.  But as they say in many endeavors, "If you do the crime, you do the time."  If we are talking about being morally bankrupt, not a felony committing criminal, then get set to don those black ones because you sure don't deserve the white.


How do we spy the morally bankrupt?  There are a few characteristics.


Among the most recently recognized bad people are the ones moving some or all of their business enterprises to other countries so they won't have to pay as high corporate taxes.  A really recent big event was when Burger King bought out a Canadian company so they could join the crowd of expatriate businesses.  Perhaps our government should decide to cancel citizenship for any company owners who move their corporate headquarters and taxes abroad.  If they act un-American, they should be un-American.  That would give us several less black hat dudes in our country.


But, maybe natural consequences will take care of that for us.  Just as workers in other countries began demanding higher and higher wages, maybe China, India, et. al., will start wanting a bigger tax cut also.  Why wouldn't they?


Oh, and then there is the everlasting outsourcing.  I hope there is a special corner in the hot place for companies that outsource customer services.  Yesterday morning I got hold of someone on my road assistance program who could literally barely speak English.  He apparently understood it less well than he spoke it, or he was deliberately trying to lose his job. I asked specifically not to have a particular tow service sent because they charge several dollars extra if you use a credit card to pay mileage beyond your policy limit (of 5 miles).  They also don't carry change for a ten so they get overpaid anyway.  When asked where I was having the car towed, the mileage came to 9.11 so he said no, the Firestone was only five miles so I should take it there.  I told him the Firestone was twelve miles -- I had just paid $28 extra a month ago.  He said, no it was five. 


Now, dude, if there is a Firestone five miles from my house, it isn't listed in the phone book.  Besides, you don't have a say as to where I get my car fixed.


Once we got it clear that the customer chooses the repair shop, he told me to hang up and he would text me with the ETA of the tow truck.  Every other rep I talked with that day had me stay on the line.  Why do you suppose he did it this way?  Well, he proceeded to set up service with the tow service I told him not to use.  I had to call and cancel his order and start from square one.  At least all the other reps spoke clear, if accented English.


Then we have the black hats who make all kinds of threats to the public if we convince Congress to increase the minimum wage.  They'll cut employees.  They'll cut hours.  They'll raise prices.  So, dudes, we'll eat somewhere that we can get a decent meal, served by adequate staff, at a reasonable price.  Then we'll watch all your employees flock to these restaurants.  And you'll find your restaurants boycotted like Burger King and others.  Then, there is your corner of the hot place waiting for you as well.


We also have the black hats who use their ill gotten gains to buy elections for their good buddies who will continue to support their morally bankrupt business methods.  Although it didn't work out too well for them during the last Presidential election, they are sure of themselves for the midterm elections.  May God grant that they are flushing their hundreds of millions down the drain.  If this keeps happening election after election, maybe they'll  become part of the veritable unwashed someday.  Don't know whom I mean?  Think Koch brothers.  Think Republican.  Think about giving them their comeuppance.


Let's don't forget the obstructionist Congressmen who are against everything others support -- just because it came from others.  Let's not forget the Tea Party reps who can't tell the difference between needed expenditures and general fluff.  Let's especially not forget the Tea Partiers who then request general fluff for their own locales.  What's fluff for the goose is fluff for the gander.


And then let's hold these black hats accountable.  If they act like that they should wear the hat.