The Banker and the Fisherman

An Goldman Sachs investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.

The banker complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The banker then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life."

The investor scoffed, "I am an Ivy League MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. "

The investor continued, "And instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would then sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution! You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But how long will this all take?"

To which the banker replied, "Perhaps 15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The banker laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!"

"Millions. Okay, then what?" wondered the Mexican.

To which the investment banker replied, "Then you would retire. You could move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

As the fisherman let our an irony induced giggle, a creeping black mass swept into the bay; he never fished again, and died in poverty months later from a rare lung condition commonly associated with petrochemical exposure.

And I'm first for once. Well done. :hi:

I only updated it up with the current Gulf conditions :)

of their next fix, they have no concern for any consequences other than whether they win the bet.

They skim their percentage and cash in, a job well done.

Then, of course, they get to celebrate with a conspicuous consumption festival.

We are just debit-line items to be minimized as low as possible.

Ive always seen this as advocating a simple life, and enjoying the world around oneself (instead of pursuing a complicated, draining life for a payback "one day"). Its sort of advocating no-growth, sustenance and enjoyment (instead of mass enterprise and stress).

But thats another interesting angle...that banker's ideas will cause negative consequence and harm in many ways. Will it employ people? Sure (but perhaps they could of all been self-employed if not competing against low-wage, mass enterprise). Will it destroy the environment? Check capitalism's record. While this banker could live a slow, joy filled life, they are rather plowing through the lives of others and the environment to amass great wealth (which may never materialize). Not only is it personally reckless (and this parable is one Ive always seen on a personal level), but it may be reckless to surrounding people. And at the end, all they want is a little happiness they could already have...

Well, is it worth it? Sure...maybe to the banker it would be. But what about to the others...are they will to sacrifice their sweat so the banker could amass the wealth their labor generates? They won't have a choice.

He writes from Mexico...

I found him when I read his book DEER HUNTING WITH JESUS.

check him out...

http://www.joebageant.com/joe/

I used to live in the Florida Keys. I am so sorry for what has happened to the Gulf.