I wish I knew what the product was they were pushing, it might put context to the advertising rhetoric.

Small businessmen are a rare and dying breed. For the past twenty-five years they have been forced out by corrupt, giant monopolistic companies that want to control manufacture, delivery and wholesale distribution of every widget on Earth - and don't obey laws. "Laws are for the little businesses"

So the entrepreneuer, ever adaptable, keeps filling tinier and tinier cracks in the marketplace and trying to morph and do what the big guys can't do quite as quick. But even the big companies are learning to reduce the market cycle and have shown they will do whatever it takes to crush the little guy into ashes. They will go out of their way to put companies out of business. They used to say "live and let live" but in this ever changing world in which we live in, we here them cry "live and let die".

The advertiser was probably using the ad to subliminally insult the small businessman, appealing to his insecurity, while simultaneously appealing to his ego and desire for success.

The truth is everyone is a de facto independent. Large companies express absolutely no loyalty to their employees and vice-versa. They will sell out their employees and replace them with illegal aliens or outsource their employees' jobs to someplace cheaper.

It's a cultural thing. What's at the root of it:

A) People are more selfish today.

B) People are less intelligent today.

C) People have less manners today.

D) People are more drugged out, legally or illegally, today.

E) Millions of 1st generation latch-key kids, who learned only to lookout for themselves, are already having kids.

Take a look at this video from Denmark shot just a few days ago. I was shown it by a co-worker and asked to make a few quick observations about disparities with any similar US event. (It may take awhile to load up)

There are several striking cultural disparities when one looks beyond the event itself (a talent show winner singing opera) and I'll post later with my observations, so as not to spoil the fun of looking for them.

;-)