Ed,
You will be happy to learn we won the bid. We will manufacture 51,500 grease bombs for Mr. Siddiqui at a price of $36,000.00 each. Over the two year span of the contract, we will gross over $1.8 billion dollars. I’ll have Mr. Lindquist and the rest of our legal team send you the fine print.
On a personal note, I wish I could share your joy. For some reason beyond me, this particular transaction taxes my conscience – though I’m relieved I qualified for my gross artillery sales bonus. This deal feels wrong, and I fear our fine products will be used not to protect, but to harm other human beings. Unlike our deals with Mr. Choi and Mr. Volkova in the past, where we produced grease bombs over the span of nine and ten years respectively, our contract with Mr. Siddiqui requires immediate production of the goods. He’s rapidly militarizing and stockpiling munitions within a two year span. While we designed our manufacturing equipment to exceed Mr. Siddiqui’s demand, I feel as though a pang of conscience – not to mention the foreseeability of misuse – should have limited our assent to the transaction. Mr. Siddiqui could use our product to extort his neighboring countries, unlawfully annex land, or even murder innocent people.
Thirty years ago, Ed, you discovered a means of converting otherwise useless food waste into something productive to society. I felt righteous selling our grease bombs to Mr. Choi and Mr. Volkova, because I believed our product would be used to deter violence. I had convinced myself we produced peace, not instruments of war. After this sale to Mr. Siddiqui, I feel as though I’ve lost my way.
I know this request goes beyond our working relationship, but I really don’t know where else to turn to. Can you offer me some spiritual guidance, Ed? Did I do something wrong?
Sincerely,
Jeff Holiday
Senior Negotiator, VP of Sales, Buttered Up, Inc.