Vacuums
Yeah, this goes out to everyone with “rotism”
That’s “rich person autism”
I would say you know who you are…
But that’s a tough one to self-diagnose
Business breeds the most impressive villains
Newscorp, Murdoch, Enron, Jeffrey Skilling
They made the mistake of takin’ survival of the fittest
As a guide for business instead of a fact that’s scientific
Anything goes right? There’s no vice
In pursuit of profits, race to the bottom baby, hold tight
It’s a roller coaster ride, fuck a safety check
I’ll save the cost and take a lawsuit if you break your neck
I can calculate the risk as a function
Of several different assumptions, a mix of evidence and hunches
You sons of bitches with your lack of compunctions
You wonder why people get mad and laugh at your comeuppance?
Why abuses get hurled at News of the World
‘Cause they hacked the phones of kidnap victims, cute little girls
And pollute the mental atmosphere with misinformation
About global warming, and fuckin’ traffic in fear?
I can’t say if Murdoch should be on trial even
That’s for the courts to call, but that’s corporate malfeasance
I want personal repercussions, pies in the face
Boycotts, public inquiries, infamy in cyberspace
Here’s my advice to future corporate giants
Avoid the reputation of an extortionate tyrant
Watch your triple bottom line, social and environmental
This is the voice public outrage – I am vengeful
See that space? That’s a niche to adapt to
Nature hates waste, and hates vacuums
We make trades, from streets to backrooms
Business hates waste, and hates vacuums
Living space degrades; we breathe mad fumes
Neighbours create waste, and hate to vacuum
They’ll clean up their act, if we make ‘em have to
Roommates create waste and hate to vacuum
A business is a cost externalizing machine
It has to be losing money if the environment is clean
And obviously it’s got some politicians bought off
So what’s gonna stop corporate greed if not laws?
Not that greed itself is wrong, just the kind of greed
That tries to feed itself by dumping on someone else’s lawn
C’mon, the free market’s great for innovation
This is not socialism; it’s a pro-business statement
The question is how to reconcile it with the common good
Either legislatively, or in the style of Robin Hood
I’m talkin’ about the human instinct for justice
Which simply predicts some businesses will get interrupted
Business leaders need to make predictive judgments
Either learn to use a vacuum, or live with limited suction
Business hates vacuums, like nature, it’s opportunist
But it also hates vacuuming, like college students
So how do pollution and profits get put in opposition?
Either with laws, or else with ostracism
Appeals to conscience just don’t work, you gotta banish
No business opportunities left on a dead planet
If you really trust the market and its power to adapt
Then I guess it could adapt to a new environmental act
Or fuck it, treat the world like it’s endlessly bountiful
And find out the hard way whether you get held accountable
See that space? That’s a niche to adapt to
Nature hates waste, and hates vacuums
We make trades, from streets to backrooms
Business hates waste, and hates vacuums
Living space degrades; we breathe mad fumes
Neighbours create waste, and hate to vacuum
They’ll clean up their act, if we make ‘em have to
Roommates create waste and hate to vacuum
