Giving a Hoot.

For 99.79-percent of the world, it's ok to suck.
It's ok to lie.
It's ok to say one thing and do another.
It's ok to have the morals of a whore-monger.
It's ok to cheat.
It's ok to steal.
It's ok to phone-it-in.
It's ok to treat people like shit.
It's ok to rip them off.
To abuse and abase them.
To use them up and throw them out.
All while picking their pockets and telling them you're on their side.

Just about every interaction in America, with a politician, with an employer, with a company, a product, a so-called service provider bears this out.

The Greek word that encapsulates our era might well be "kakistocracy." Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens. I'll add to that, corporate management by the least qualified or most unprincipled.

In a monopoly controlled world, you can get away with it. There are four basic agency holding companies. It's likely soon there will be three, when WPP sells itself so eight guys at the top, who have already milked WPP-dry get out with even more money. There are a couple of banks left. A couple or airlines, telcos, ISPs, drug-stores. Petroleum companies. Political parties.

In just about any category that matters, capital has consolidate. Control is in the hands of a few. And caring is out the window. The little guy? Shit out of luck.

With or without over collusion (which is nominally illegal though, today, unenforced and unenforceable) outrage gets you no-where. You could switch from Verizon to AT&T, but the differences wouldn't be worth the hassle. So, sic semper tyrannis. And all that Latin jazz.

Of course, there's another Latin quotable, there always is. Since about 400BC till 200 years ago, the educated of the world knew Latin. That died. But I haven't yet. As yet.

Etiam si omnes, ego non.

"Even if everybody does it, I will not."

More poetically, "Even if all others, not I."

There are a lot of tattoo'd people in the world. About two years ago, I was in Costa Rica and a woman by the pool had numbers tattoo'd under each asscheek. My wife asked her what the numbers meant. "They're my angel numbers," she said. 

I've yet to see someone tattoo'd with Etiam si omnes, ego non tattoo'd on their ass or anywhere else. In what remains of our business, we continue to produce blandishments that are completely divorced from the things our clients offer. 

The business bank that rips me off each month is unable to help me solve a simple problem. Yet, they run spots like these. They're so false and untrue and not what I need. They're as fake as a Yelp review.

I also can't get help from Marriott hotels. In fact, their "customer support," "Is there anything else I can help you with?" isn't just bad, it's literally abusive. But they own this many hotels, and anyone else sucks just as loudly.

However.
But.
Etiam si omnes, ego non.

Not long ago, I got an email from Taschen, a publisher of good, artful books. I spend approximately 81.9-percent of my disposable income at Taschen. Because they care.

I think some people with money still care about companies that care. They're tired of lowest common denominator service, products, answers and everything else. They want value--and a little bit of humanity--for their money.

Yes, this is as rarefied as shit gets; $10,000 for a limited edition book. My guess is, however, that Taschen customers see something like this and say, "wow, Taschen is something. Look at this Ferrari book. Their $49 book must be worth it, too."

That used to be a principle of marketing. 

Treat people well. Give them something extraordinary. Make them feel special. Not only will they be rewarded--you, the brand, will be rewarded as well.

I'm afraid those days are all over. 
From the people you buy from.
From the people you work for.
From the people you vote for.
Even the people who heal you when you're sick.

It's no longer 'let's do something beautiful that makes people feel good.' It's 'let's fuck 'em and move on so we can fuck someone else.'

P.S. You really owe it to yourself to watch the 95-second video below on the making of this book. If only to see that chasing minimal viable products is an emblem of sickness in culture, advertising and the world. It's "how much can we get away with?" as opposed to "how can we do it right?"

When you're done with the Taschen video, watch the two-minute Saul Bass video below it. 

It's more important than anything else you'll do today.

Etiam si omnes, ego non.