Capitalism gone mad

I remember the last time M&S announced a fall in profits - its share price tumbled. Today it's announced a fall in profit - to a "paltry" 618.5 million. No doubt this will fuel more share tumbles.

What is our obsession with such massive profits? Surely the fact that M&S maintained a large profit despite what it describes as tough trading conditions should be applauded? Surely the fact it made a profit at all should be enough? Perhaps people should ask questions as to how these large companies make such big profits in such tough markets?

I would never float a company on the stock exchange. To my mind, a company's first priority should be to pay for itself, which means breaking even. If the company's employees are able to make a fair living, then any kind of profit should be a bonus, not a minimum requirement, and certainly not something that should be considered the benchmark for the following year.

This probably explains why I'll never run a company...