Excargodog

Actually, the problem in China is the legacy of the one child policy which persisted for two generations of fertility. That and gender selective abortions have left them with a way too small population of fertile females to even maintain their present population - which has already peaked. So they are stuck with a declining and aging population. Demographics isn’t destiny but it’s close. They are going to be sorely short of workers in a few years with only leaner years ahead of them.

RemoveB4flght

Profitability is not a merger issue and is largely irrelevant. Spirit is a growth company, which means investors expect the company to put the majority of revenue left over into things to expand the operation. The company endeavors to keep some cash on hand to handle unexpected expenses, but in a normal world excess cash sitting in the bank is considered unused capital that could be deployed to pay off debt or buy more assets to feed growth.

Obviously making more money than expected in a given quarter/year is a good thing to drive growth, but Spirit’s goal isn’t to continually have extra cash laying around. At the same time, losing money in a given year/quarter isn’t ideal, but not turning a profit is not the same as insolvency. There are many ways that a shortfall can be absorbed by the company, with cash on hand, tax write offs, restructuring debt, delaying new debt, selling assets, short term borrowing, stock issue, etc etc etc. The strategy for this is why the CEO and CFO make the big bucks, and what they have to explain to the board and shareholders in terms of strategy.

All of Spirit’s assest and liabilities are known to anyone as it is a publicly owned company. There may be a moratorium on certain major decisions, but how Ted and Co run the company in the interim is probably more vital to their future employment than the merger.

TransWorld

You speak the truth. Population in China is starting to decline. Economic development, while still growing, is becoming much harder to come by.

India is now the largest population country in the world.

afterburn81

All of that said, it always cracks me up when people say the case against the merger will be decided due to the lack of financial return at NK. The financial stability of the company has nothing to due with the interpretation of the law. If you are caught speeding and can’t pay the fine, you are still found liable for speeding. They just allow you to pay in installments or serve some other penalty. Not exactly the same but similar.

Still though, the cash cow NK once was, seems to have lost its touch.

Bluedriver

This isn't post WWII America, not even close. The harder the average American (not talking about major airline pilots) works the gains from the productivity mostly go to executive compensation, stock buybacks, and other affects that primarily or disproportionately benefit the executive/investment class.

The truth is life is short. The most limited quantity resource we have is our time. I have more money than time. Time with my family and friends, or doing things that I enjoy are more important than working 30 hours of overtime a month most of the time. And keeping America #1 is not my responsibility, and is it even the most important goal? Most global surveys show Americans are not the happiest, and do not on average have the highest standard of living globally. Don't take that to mean I don't want to be #1, but a better balance overall, in many ways, would likely be better than what we've had.

And I've already said the work ethic of the youngsters is not something to be proud of, and I was phrasing it nicely...

Noisecanceller

Who said anything about being happy.

”Ask not what your country…”

todd1200

I’m gonna guess you’re trolling because your posts read like an ad absurdum example of a self righteous, out of touch point of view.

If you realize that large segments of humanity don’t share your ideals you can either muster up an ounce of self awareness and try to understand why, or you can keep yelling at clouds.

Bgood

Yeah, I disagree. You think that what worked in the past will continue to work in the future? Time and innovation is going to leave us behind if the country should follow your opinion

MGMTiswatchingU

Well.....there it is...

The dumbest f%&%ing thing I've read all day.

Bluedriver

We are FREE to pursue our own happiness and priorities in life. We are not enlisted soldiers. Our priorities are our own, within certain limits. You can choose to sacrifice yourself and your family for the perceived sake of your country, but unless you are an enlisted soldier, you will primarily only be serving your CEO and his investors.

Many of countries, parties and ideologies have used the "sacrifice for your country" mantra, as Putin is right now. It is not an automatic pass of a concept that is never to be questioned.

To be honest, I have no respect for those that don't work hard, but working hard can and has been taken too far, and OUR LIVES ARE SHORT. Time is our most valuable resource, and it's supply is very limited. Feel free to dedicate your life, literally, to your CEO in the misguided thought that you are serving your country. I will work hard, but my family comes first most of the time. And I won't be on my death bed saying "I wish I would have worked more overtime".

I have no beef with you personally, and surely don't want to find one. We are all free to have our own opinions and priorities.

​​​​​