The men who built America

[HB Vic]

Does greed breed innovation?

I'll get back to that in a minute.

I honestly hope we can keep politics out of this thread. I realize this entire period of the growth of our Nation was almost entirely political, but that's not why I posted this tread.

Innovation is why I posted this. And believe it or not, this thread and this series is somewhat related to boating. A bit of a stretch maybe, but one of the main reasons why the internal combustion engine was designed was greed. Or was it innovation?? You be the judge.

Most of us have read about these guys a long time ago. Whats a shame is, imo, we learned about them when we were too young for us to really understand what was going on. So its always nice to read and see what these guys were up to when you actually have had enough life experience for it to sink in....a little.


I've watched a little of this and I'm recording the rest. Fascinating stuff to me. Check it out.


http://www.history.com/shows/men-who-built-america

[McRib]

I watched it when it came out last year. It was on on Sunday again but modified with extra tidbit factoids on the bottom. As I was watching the jp Morgan episode I realized he was never really in the history books of my school district. I had no idea how important he was. I seriously don't remember learning about him in school. Everyone else showcased in the series I remember 100%

[gn7]

Greed has NOTHING to do with it. The most creative minds in history, specially in this country, did what they did because they seriously, could not help it. It was a burning desire to do what they did. Every successful company has a driven person that DROVE the company. Apple, Microsoft, Ford, Westinghouse, Bell, Standard Oil, U.S. Steel.

The MEN that built America are really simple. Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Westinghouse, and Henry Ford, and Rockerfeller had by far the biggest impact. Edison died near broke, Carnegie gave almost all of it away, Rockerfeller gave away more than any man in history. Few know he bought most the land that makes up most national parks, and gave it to the federal government. Ford gave the company to a foundation that is still one of the largest foundation in the world. Westinghouse died near broke, but JP Morgan broke him.
Gates has given away and will continue to give away, more than he takes in. He is becoming worth less everyday. His and Buffets wills are written, and the kids get much less than you can imagine. You can win more in the Power Ball easily.

The richer they get, the less it had to do with greed.

NOW, financial people. Don't get me started. Its ALL GREED, and it has been all thru history. They make nothing, and contribute nothing.

The richest most successful people in history, all did it WITHOUT BANKS! JP Morgan was a pariah on the American pubic. But that would open the door to politics, so we won't go there.

Funny, you can talk industrial giants, and their contribution to the growth and power of the nation, and never mention politics. Try that when talking about bankers and empires built on financials.

[McRib]

Jp Morgan albeit a banker. Bought carnigie for 480 mil and formed us steel. He was also the money behind Edison and was responsible for electrifying America. When they lost Niagara to Westinghouse and tesla Morgan bought controlling interest in Edison electric and formed GE. Carnegie became a philanthropist and gave away most of his fortune building things with his namesake. Morgan was a smart mother effer and Edison died broke cause Morgan left him with nothing.

They were all greedy and used dirty politics to continue earning the way they did. Then came teddy and beat up rockefeller. To bad it was at the end and rockefeller had already dominated

[gn7]

Jp Morgan albeit a banker. Bought carnigie for 480 mil and formed us steel. He was also the money behind Edison and was responsible for electrifying America. When they lost Niagara to Westinghouse and tesla Morgan bought controlling interest in Edison electric and formed GE. Carnegie became a philanthropist and gave away most of his fortune building things with his namesake. Morgan was a smart mother effer and Edison died broke cause Morgan left him with nothing.

They were all greedy and used dirty politics to continue earning the way they did. Then came teddy and beat up rockefeller. To bad it was at the end and rockefeller had already dominated

He BROKE Edison, and he BROKE Westinghouse.

Dirty tactics is not greed for money, its greed for share.
Henry Ford could have sold cars for a LITTLE less than GM, he sold cars for less than HALF. Its not the money, its the GAME. Its EGO driven, not money driven.
Bankers are in it for Money. It is what financials are, MONEY!

Car manufactures, and steel, oil, software, etc are things, and the more make and move is number uno. Not just the money. It comes from moving the most product, and making and moving the most is the prime mover.

Carnegie sold out and GAVE JP Morgans money away. JP Morgan bought it for the same reason he crushed Edison and Westinghouse. GREED.
Look at every founding industrialist, and you see a passion for what they were doing. JP Morgan had zero passion for electricity, or inventing, or creating anything but wealth. He could barely spell electricity let alone explain it.
You can't name me a single successful industry that the founder didn't do it because of the passion for what he was doing. That they went into it for the shear profit, and that was THE ONLY motivation.
Then tell me WHY people go into financials, and tell me MONEY is not the primary goal. ITS THE ONLY GOAL., there nothing else. It is the BUSINESS of financials. You can make 10 million cars and be a major success and make ZERO money at it. YOU CANNOT SAY THE SAME ABOUT FINANCIALS. If you didn't make any money, then you didn't make anything. At least the car manufacture built 10 million cars with his name on them.

[McRib]

We wouldn't be the country we are without their greed. The end of their era ended and America was the industrial leader and new laws went into effect to prevent their kind of greed which brought in the roaring 20s. Then the crash happened cause the market caught up with itself. W old America be what it is without these guys and their greed masked by actual vision? They had their cake and they ate it. I'm money drivin and I'm happiest when I have an abundance of it. I'm greedy but I also have ethics. I'd love to be a branch of one of their family trees. Edisons ego got him crushed and Westinghouse was weak.

[ChumpChange]

NOW, financial people. Don't get me started. Its ALL GREED, and it has been all thru history. They make nothing, and contribute nothing.

Glad we got that out in the open. Looks like I have nothing to add here.

[HB Vic]

Glad we got that out in the open. Looks like I have nothing to add here.

I guess if you have enough dough to buy your cars, homes, and pay for your business ventures in cash, more power to you

[gn7]

I guess if you have enough dough to buy your cars, homes, and pay for your business ventures in cash, more power to you

I guess. Henry Ford built the Ford Motor Company without borrowing a dime from a bank. He went from a garage to the River Rouge plant, the largest manufacturing plant in the world at the time, and produced 1000 cars a day, within 20 years, with out banks. Banks were never in a position to take it, like Edison and Westinghouse.

Homes can be a different story, I didn't buy my house, I rented it from the bank on a rent to own basis. Everybody does. Second homes are a different story, But you are going to rent something anyway, might as well rent to own.
Cars and boats. I learned long ago I can pay for a car quicker and faster, cheaper by making payments to a bank account, then to a bank loan. When the car is "paid off", I go buy it. Right now I am paying off a 2015 Mustang. I'll let you know how that works out when they arrive,

[ChumpChange]

I guess if you have enough dough to buy your cars, homes, and pay for your business ventures in cash, more power to you

I would but hookers and blow don't provide financing options.