Here’s a prose poem from Steve Pearlstein of the Washington Post to start your week. A koan from corporate America:

I am a private-equity fund manager.

I am the misunderstood superhero of American capitalism, single-handedly creating wealth and prosperity despite all the obstacles put in my way by employees, government and the media.

I am a job creator and I am entitled.

[…]

I am entitled to fire any worker who tries to organize a union. I am entitled to break any existing union by moving, or threatening to move, operations to a union-hostile environment.

I am entitled to a duty of care and loyalty from employees and investors who are owed no such duty in return.

I am entitled to operate my business free of all government regulations other than those written or approved by my industry. […]

Read the whole thing. If you have a break room at work, consider tacking it up on the bulletin board. Stealthily…

[Photo credit: mlmdotcom, Creative Commons.]