Other People's Money

 

"Other People's Money" consists of a big business man whose reputation of buying out companies, liquidating them, and picking at the pieces left over to make millions for himself and shareholders proceeds him. Garfield's classified as the story's antagonist but is also one of our main characters. On the other end of business is Jorgenson, the company executive hell bent on his dedication to what he believes is "right" and "moral" as it pertains to his ground employees. 

The movies includes a lot topics and of subplots involving capitalism, corruption, duty, love? for some reason but the big climax a the end is all on the topic of offshoring.

To Offshore, or Not to Offshore

That is the question

In the grander scheme of things of offshoring is the practice of moving the manufacturing of American goods to other countries. Reshoring is the opposite, keeping or bringing back the manufacturing to the US. They both have their pros and cons, pretty much in opposition to each other, ones benefit is the other's drawback. The biggest issues with debating this topic is because Offshoring's pros are very tangible and measurable, it's cheaper, while Reshoring's pros aren't as such, they depend more on less grounded subjects like morals and the belief in "The American Dream." 

Jorgenson believes in Reshoring. He's loyal and actually friends with a lot of his employees, reassuring them constantly and declining business advances that would put them in a less advantageous situation without their input.   

Garfield believes in Offshoring. He isn't concerned with what happens to the company or its employees, all he knows is that the business, staying the way it is, won't go anywhere and wants to make his money while he can.  

The speeches are very moving but in the end, it's a business and most business topics boil down to money, Garfield's whole point, and it wins him the debate.

In taking Garfield's stance one believes a leader should prioritized his fiduciary duty to shareholders in the company. 

In taking Jorgenson's stance, one believes a leader's chief responsibility to his workers and the community. 

It must be remembered that this is a film and one that uses exaggeration and extremes to prove a point and have an engaging plot. When relating these topics back to the real world, it's very harmful and dangerous to take extremes and find some degree in the middle to compromise on, hence our present political climate. We are as divided as a country as ever and it's because we live and identify ourselves within these extremes. Once we learn to accept that people and policies aren't and shouldn't be so black and white we can possibly move forward as a country. 

Anyway, here's a Danny Devito President