Scenario one: Company is struggling with market changes, competition, seasonal ordering patterns, or other hazards of conducting business. They lay off some or all of their work-force due to an inability to meet payroll or a heavily reduced cash flow.

Scenario two: Company moves its manufacturing capacity offshore, hires third world labor at a twentieth of the cost, and lays off its work-force, while maximizing its profits.

Scenario three: Company fearing that its employees are unionizing, closes a branch plant in an attempt to avoid certification.

There are other possible scenarios but lets keep it to these three.

The first is a risk of business, and while it may be a less than appealing prospect for the people affected, it is usually done in the absence of malice and frequently with the intent (and reality) of hiring said workers back if conditions improve.

Scenario two is destructive, not only to the persons directly affected, but to the economy as a whole. And for those of you who support offshoring because "it makes things cheaper" take a look at profit margins, cost benefit analysis, and P/L ratios of such companies. They're not doing it for the benefit of the consumer, I assure you.

Scenario three is less common, and in some jurisdictions is, in fact illegal. Where it is legal it is the sign of significant unrest to come.

So to return to the ludicrous "Capitalism is Evil" premise of the list, in my opinion only scenario 2, of those listed above can even remotely described as "evil" and then only using the word in its loosest possible definition.

Lots of multinational corporations lay off employees while they are booking record profits -- and then open factories and processing centers in other countries.

Never ascribe to 'evil' that which can be explained by stupidity.

When most automobile manufacturers had to deal with falling sales at the beginning of the Great Depression, they started dumping employees onto the street, but Henry Ford took a look at the situation, gave everybody a raise, and told his employees to go down to the nearest Ford dealer and buy a car.

This is especially true because most big companies really do not give a rat's buttucks about their employers...case in point most companies do not rust their employees in general and give personality profiles on such, and the biggest crooks are usually the executives who rip off the company!!!

This will always be there when it comes to business. You want the best available people working for you. When it comes to firing employees it's needed because they may not be up to the requirements.

Once again, everthing says "agree" mike. Here is a hint for you. WAL MART is evil. Don't work there. They abuse their employees and give them crap for benefits. They also push around their suppliers to get a better price than competitors. Capitalism is okay, its just Wal Mart thats the problem, you freak.