Yep-as far as paradigms go, the "tragedy of the commons" doesn't even come close to holding a candle to the problems of manufactured necessity, contra the market chauvinists.

The poor respond to all this by caring more for their fellow man and the rich respond by caring less. The change in values has already happened and it merely reinforces the socioeconomic structure.

Man this hits home.

I and my partner own a small business of six employees (now apparently routinely vilified by sloggers).

We have been trying very hard for nearly two decades to act responsibly and ethically with in our industry.

But there is literally no reward to do so. At all.

I am in competition with larger agencies of fifty to sixy employees that outsource cheap labor to India. That use a high amount of unpaid Internship labor. Who pay their very young staffs low wages - what they call market competitive wages (which means driven lower and lower in real dollars).

All things we went in to business to NEVER do. We pay our interns (hi Stranger! Nice for you to joins us). We use local more expensive resources. We pay above market rates. AND benefits.

While our actions result in better quality and higher client/employee loyalty, it's clear that is becoming less and less valued in the mighty market.

Our competition grows and undercuts us at every turn and they make much greater profit and yet deliver a poorer product but at a higher quantity.

We are facing a crisis of faith and ethics. We can become just as scummy as everybody else. Or eventually get driven out of business.

This is the reality. And our attempts at a more ethical, more humane, way of doing business has no advocate. Not anywhere that matters.

So what you're saying is capitalism doesn't encourage our best intentions? Not sure that's particularly groundbreaking at this point, but sure.

"our attempts at a more ethical, more humane, way of doing business has no advocate. Not anywhere that matters."

15Now is pushing for just this sort of behavior.
Kshama Sawant is pushing for this behavior.
The market we have isn't the one we deserve.

@7 It's not applicable to us. Nor is it applicable to unregulated outsourced and contract labor to which our industry commonly resorts and exploits. There is nothing Sawant can - or likely would do - about it.

Besides, I'm skeptical. She and her husband worked at Microsoft making a tidy bundle and never said a word about these exploitative practices while they were there. (I guess collectivism is only for other people.).

The lowest wage we ever pay is for entry level designers and office staff (other than interns - who get $12-16hr - which we only have maybe two per year and currently we don't have any) is $25-30 per hour. Average wage is about $50-70 per hour. With Developers topping out at $75-$150 per hour.

Our biggest competition routinely pays less than half that. Not to mention the plethora of unpaid interns they utilize.