Cheating: The American Way of Life?

Ever since writer Barbara Ehrenreich donned a maid's outfit and second-shifted waiting tables, America has been exposed as the land of the "Nickel and Dimed." In her journey through blue-collar jobs, Barbara realized that it required at least two such backbreaking, knee-wobbling jobs to make ends meet in America. It put to end the ideal that a job, any job, is better than no job. Since many of these occupations can not even provide a reasonable subsistence for the workers, and often they risk health and injury while being uninsured, one has to realize that cheating may become a real nice option for those struggling to survive. Now, it seems, even the middle-class think cheating might be a good way of life. The mentality of corporate America that insists on cutting corners and cheating to maximize profits isn't just evident in the labor market, it has taken hold as one of the pillars of a capitalistic society where the strong prey on the weak.

Take for instance, the current consumer dilemma on the price of gasoline. Petroleum companies had hiked their prices so much that gasoline had gone up 300% in the last three years. What kind of repercussions did it have the companies? Record profits! There were no penalties for this type of behavior even though the price of gasoline could have easily come down any time, as we are now seeing. It will never go back to less than $1 a gallon, but there is still much leeway there.

This type of profit mongering is evident in cheating tactics embraced by all manner of companies. The evidence that this is a marketing and capitalistic behavior is evident on Mouseprint.org, a website devoted to exposing the fine print and underhanded practices of major corporations. Among some of the unregulated practices that cheat the consumer and drive up profits for the company are short-changing products while maintaining the price.

Is Cheating the Norm Now?

Too Many Aces

Credit: Adam Ciesielski

Copyright: Adam Ciesielski