Biznik Blog

Google’s decision to face down the Bush administration over its subpoena of user records makes me want to jump up and dance. Because it’s an example, on a mega scale, of something I believe on a local scale – that your business can literally make the world a better place. Money ain’t the root of all evil, kids. It’s what you do with it that matters. Or, in this case, how you behave in the process of making it.

Yeah, I know, we’re accustomed to hearing stories all the time about how business is raising hell in the rain forest or squandering their employees pensions or making “no compete” bank on the war. The corrupting influence of large sums of capitol are well known. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The progressive movement as a whole, and in particular small business people like us (who account for the vast majority of the 23 million businesses in the United States) would do well to examine Google’s moto, “Do no evil.” Instead of going off in a hundred directions, like we progressive types always are (Free Leonard Peltier! Save the rhino! Support the troops!), how about uniting against something simple for a change.

It’s always easier to be against something than it is to be for something — look how far the Republicans have ridden that horse in “the war on terror.” As it stands today, I’m not sure what the Democratic party stands for. They stand for a lot of things, depending on who you ask. But they’ve proven to be almost totally ineffective as an opposition party. And after six years of the Bush administration, there’s a whole lot of evil out there that needs attention. So on a big level as we start thinking midterm elections this year, and a small one as we run our businesses every day, how about keeping it simple: It’s the evil, stupid.

And thanks, Google, for giving me faith in the power of business.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2006 at 8:11 am and is filed under News. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.