Why Profit

I've always wondered about this, about the logic of it. And how most seem to defend it with ferocity.

Why must there be profit? Money that is siphoned off. Wages yes, need to be paid, but profit and extortionate bonuses and dividends? Why? It doesn't make sense to me.

The latest issue that has made me think about this again is Train Companies. The government gives contracts out to train operators to run our train services. It is a vital network. We must be able to move around the country, whether locally or further afield. If we must focus on it, the economy is dependent on it. Opportunities are dependent on our being able to move about. Social mobility - without cheap, efficient and available transport people are stuck in their own backyard. And for a greener future - encouraging public transport over cars is a must. Overall, the transport network and specifically the rail network is a vital public good.

So surely, the focus of running a train network should be on providing cheap but good services. Not profit. It seems a waste. That money could be spend on better wages for the employees or better infrastructure, or the price of travel lowered. Instead we have companies that are posting record profits - and yet this January they are planning a ticket price hike of up to 9%. Families already spend a huge proportion of their incomes on travel - this could break them further. I know it will me - and I am already limited in where and how frequently I can travel - trains in this country are already prohibitively expensive.

Surely there will be talented and very good people available to run these services who aren't driven with the need for profit. It won't scare people away. There could even be more initiative and creativity by focusing on employing those people. Or if people are scared away, we don't need them - if they aren't willing to put people and the planet first. It does not mean becoming stagnant.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.