To be or not to be: a Hummer Salesman?

[Cronus Protagonist]

What if you lost your job and the only one you could find is as a salesperson for Hummer or say, working in any capacity for a large SUV dealership? Or perhaps the only job you could find was working in the office of a meat packing plant and you're a vegetarian?

Would you take the job and how would you reconcile it with your politial and social belief system?



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[amjucsc]

1. Perhaps you'd consider this to be a moral cop out but...

Someone's going to wind up selling those hummers or packing that meat-- you are not, inherently responsible for the hummers or the consumption of chicken, the people consuming the products are.

Of course I'm not a vegetarian, and while I'm not too fond of hummers I'm not morally opposed to the existence of cars, so this is coming from someone who dosen't necessarily have a huge moral stake in the issue.

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. I've thought about this for a while and I agree with you

I once asked people on here if they had a problem with companies who sell both liberal AND anti-Democratic buttons, stickers, etc.

The DU consensus was that it didn't matter for a company to sell to both sides, and some thought that it was expected. I was surprised, but I can see the argument for unbiased business they proposed.

Personally, I won't be making products that can be used to further destroy the country. I just don't think that's ethical for me.

However, I think I agree with you on the Hummer thing - it would be like Robin Hood robbing the rich to pay for the poor. There's no such thing as a poor Hummer buyer, after all. And besides, in a few years they're just going to be expensive lawn ornaments because gas prices are not going to stay low for long.

I figure if you have to survive, you have to do what you have to do - the world isn't fair and it isn't designed as one's own personal heaven.

So, for the vegan or vegetarian working in a meat packing plant, perhaps they could work from within and make the killing a little more humane, a little more painless and the environment a little more sanitary, for example. Although the vegan people I know would rather die than support the "animal holocaust".

I, personally, don't think that's a wise move.

[eaprez]

10. then your core beliefs aren't really core beliefs...

...but theory's to be practiced under ideal circumstances.

[Cronus Protagonist]

12. You're the first person to mention "core beliefs"

Did you mean your comment to be more general to others who have and live by "core beliefs"? I don't. Beliefs are obstacles, IMHO, not values.

(on edit: I did mention "belief system", but my belief system is constantly mutating, not fixed as your "core" adjective might imply, if I understand you correctly)

[Name removed]

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[bobweaver]

3. You will never be happy in either of those jobs - keep looking or move.

[Walt Starr]

4. Take the job

you can always quit later, and if you find something else quick enough, you could leave without notice and never put it on the resume.

[mistertrickster]

5. No way. Why not just sell crack? Just because you don't use it is

no reason to deprive others who want it. <sarcasm>

I think one should try to square one's principles with one's job. It's ultimately impossible, but at least you're avoiding the egregious hypocrisies--and you'll be better at what you do and probably live longer too.

[PowerToThePeople]

7. Hummer salesman

Selling hummers, that job blows. Literally. Haha.

[Cronus Protagonist]

13. You might be right (nt)

[FormerDittoHead]

8. Let them them piss their $! The Humvee will be a joke of post-peak oil!

It will be the POSTER CHILD of what "we did wrong"... Dad, didn't YOU own one of those???? Didn't you know that oil wasn't going to last forever???

Look, with the kind of guy in the market for one of these things, with your conscience, the BEST you could hope for is that he'll instead by a 12 cylinder pickup truck that gets 2 miles better milage while he drives with an empty bed 99.99% of the time...

It's WAY overpriced - I say you and the auto workers are better off with the money than HE is!

Don't forget to sell him the 'undercoating' and all of those important dealer extras! Can you imagine what the repairs must be? I could HAPPILY sell these things!

I can't wait until gas starts reaching it's realistic price, these jerkoffs will be dumping these onto a sellers market and taking a big hit! They'll get what they deserve!

[Cronus Protagonist]

15. Hahahahaa Your comment mirrors my own opinion on the Hummers

VERY expensive lawn ornaments post peak oil, and they would come back for another car, a hybrid, later so they could get to work and earn more than their fuel costs. :)

[CrispyQ]

9. Interesting you selected those two industries for your model . . .

I'm veg & I abhor SUVs. However, I have a hierarchy & my veggie-ness is at the top. I would rove the streets & garbage dumpsters before I would work in a meat plant. However, I would work at a Hummer dealership before I would rove the streets. And, regarding the previous post about crack, I would probably sell crack before I would rove the streets too.

[Cronus Protagonist]

14. I did choose them specifically for the strength of the opposition

As it illustrates the point better to use the hot topics of the day. You concur with my vegan friends, and I think, although I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, I'd also have to seriously consider dumpster diving before working in a meat packing plant. I think I would retch twice or more a day with the smell alone.

[LeftyMom]

11. I could never work in meat processing

Even if I didn't have a moral objection (and I do) and even if I was able to walk through the meat department at the store without holding my breath and averting my eyes (I can't) those places are unsafe. I wouldn't risk disease or occupational injury even if the money was good.

I'm a good salesperson. I could work at a place that sold hugenormous SUVs and other vehicles. That way I could steer people toward a vehicle that meets thier needs, in some cases that might be an SUV, other people
might be better served by a van or a mini-ute. At least the SUV buyers would be helping me tuck a little more money away for my own dream car,
a hybrid Toyota Sienna (with AWD if the hybrid get that option.)

[Cronus Protagonist]

17. I do wish US auto firms would make some hybrids

I don't see any at the Chevvy dealership, for example.




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[LeftyMom]

18. They're developing some

Instead of starting with the smaller cars and working thier way up as the Japanese have done, they're starting with the gas guzzlers. Doesn't do me any good, but people who really do need an SUV (my best friend is one, she needs something that can go offroad, haul two adults, three kids and a huge dog with room for thier stuff, and tow a boat, so her only choices were SUVs) could certainly use better efficency.

Ford makes a hybrid Escape, but the engine is from Honda.

[Cronus Protagonist]

19. I think that's going to be increasingly important in the future

We're about to enter a "Buy American" phase in our economy, and so the US auto manufacturers could benefit greatly from that, but as you noted, the gas guzzlers are the ones that really need some modernization.

I do like some of the newer models that are showing a little more flair - nicer styling than we're used to in US made cars, so there is some possibility of a revivial in US cars.

Still, Hummers are not ever going to get good mileage - even with a diesel engine and/or hybrid with some other method - they're just too darn heavy to get much gain from it.

I think they will make nice clubhouses for the rich parent's kids, in the foreseeable future, though.

[livinginphotographs]

16. Hummer salesman I could handle.

It's digusting but you have to pay the bills.

The smell of meat makes me nauseous, though, so I couldn't take that job.