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HOME DEPOT COFOUNDER Bernie Marcus made headlines late last year with his claim that capitalism may not survive because “nobody works, nobody gives a damn.” I respectfully disagree. While Marcus has one example—people not wanting to work or work hard enough at the stores he founded—I believe America has a terrific future based on four observations:
I know what a few dozen young men from Boy Scouts are doing today. Many—but not all—went to college. They currently have careers as varied as teacher, film editor, lead custodian at a school, satellite engineer, data analyst, diesel mechanic, insurance salesperson and hotel manager. Many are married. My point: Each has gone on to contribute to society, pay taxes and become a solid citizen.
I also worked closely with supply chain analysts, factory workers, maintenance workers and quality technicians. I’ll concede that many of the younger folks wanted to know the “why” when asked to do a job, as opposed to simply following a directive. To me, this is a plus. When explaining the outcome that I’m seeking, they often have input that makes both the process and the results better.
Most of these graduates already have jobs lined up. Some will work with Fortune 100 companies. Some chose to work with startups. Virtually all will be contributing to America’s competitiveness.
Bernie Marcus may worry that capitalism won’t survive. But when I look at the young people that I’ve personally witnessed making contributions to America and its businesses, I’m not worried. Echoing the words of Warren Buffett, I wouldn’t bet against America.
I don’t know how I missed this article 6 months ago. I think Bernie Marcus’s initials say it all.
If you don’t like what the kids are doing, you have to look the parents. We are the ones responsible for nurturing our young.
The time spent with them in the earliest years sets them on their path. If you don’t like what you see, they were failed by their parents when they had their chance.
The emphasis has to be on citizenship and education. Yes, it is really that simple.
I remember my parents extreme focus on education when I young. They didn’t want us to work with our hands. Now my dishwasher repairman earns more than my doctor.
I did both, good hands and a mind. I was successful because I discovered my passion before I was 10 and my parents enthusiastically supported me.
It’s worth saying again, the blame or praise belongs to parents. It’s a shame that it takes two incomes to raise a family. It often takes time away from raising the children.
I’m embarrassed for Marcus for making that overly broad statement. “Nobody works.” Good grief! Marcus has been so rich so long that he’s forgotten the difficulties of being lower middle class or poor. I’ve lost any respect for him that I might have ever had.
I guess what I want to say about evidence is that one should look beyond their own personal experiences. One should also look at overall stats and studies and the views and experiences of those from different backgrounds than themselves in forming their opinion. That is how science works. It isn’t just based on the personal experiences of the scientist but on the actual results.
But many people don’t want to challenge their beliefs but instead look for only confirming evidence.
Most people that I know are truly grateful to live in this great country.
There seems to be very little evidence that the current generation is worse than those that came before.
The whining that I hear is mostly from older white folks and their political reps who seem to want go back to a time when only white males were empowered. These election deniers are a much greater threat to our country than the next generation.
Personally, I try to avoid HD and buy from local businesses.
I’ve been a university professor for 33 years now, so I’ve seen several generations of college students go through. The students I teach now are bright, engaged, hardworking, and motivated. Now, I teach at a highly ranked public university that is very hard to get into, so these students basically did what they were told their whole lives to get there. But in my previous job, I was at a mid-level state university that focused on teaching rather than research—and those students, in their own way, and at their own pace, were also highly motivated and hardworking. It was a privilege to teach them.
Obviously, since college graduates are still in the minority in the U.S., I encounter just one slice of young adulthood in my work. But people ask me all the time if and how students have changed over the decades I’ve taught. I always say they’ve changed in both good and detrimental ways. Their attention span is more limited, so I can’t just lecture for 80 minutes straight—I have to actually come up with a creative lesson plan that gets them engaged and interactive. But my attention span is similarly more limited—I think social media is responsible in all cases—so I don’t judge them for that. A good teacher adjusts to the students in front of them, not expect it to be the other way around. The good part of this is that students are more informed and curious about the world since literally anything they want to know (pop music in 60s, movies from the 80s, any question you can ask Siri) is at their fingertips.
Bernie should explain why the unemployment rate is so low if no one wants to work. I think he should get out more.
Not disagreeing with either side, but much of everyone’s opinions or views will be based on the area they live.
….and the young adults they know. We all live in our own unique world of anecdotal evidence. Every generation complains about the generation that follows. But in the end, humans don’t fundamentally change from one generation to the next, so I think it’s foolish to imagine that the latest generation will somehow put us on the fast track to Sodom and Gomorrah.