Thanks for the great comments Alan.  You use a great phrase: "employees are never powerless" in your response.  Employees do have a choice and they often take it.  The problem is they have the same regard for the owner as the owner showed for them.  It's not sustainable at all.  When the pendulum swings back, the employees will over-react too.  No one ever stops the merry-go-round to create a sustainable business.

Thanks for chipping in. Mike...