How would you feel if some well-intended person said to you, "While I believe that everyone should get a fair wage for an honest day's work, I believe that the shareholders deserve more for their investment. I think it's time for you to give up your day's/week's/month's worth of pay."
You could argue that the shareholders' treatment isn't as dire of an "emergency" as an Ebola pandemic, but just because you declare an "emergency" doesn't give you the right to impose how others should or shouldn't act.
That said, in the event of a world-wide outbreak, I do think that there would be a coming-together of governments and private companies to develop a fast-track vaccine. It may be a temporary cost and reduction in short-term profit, but hopefully the longer-term good will would turn to profit later.
You are using an apples to oranges argument.
While stating what I did will undoubtedly open up some to state exactly what you have stated, that would have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, with Adam Smith’s works on Capitalism and his companion work “the Theory of Moral Sentiments” being brought into the fray.
Smith showed that Capitalism is the best system (and it is) but it must be balanced out with morality.
Again, Jesus answered the question of “who is my neighbor” and His answer has not been annulled.
” It may be a temporary cost and
reduction in short-term profit, but
hopefully the longer-term good will would
turn to profit later.”
The long term goal is to survive, and have an economy that survives. What good is profit, if the SHTF? There is more than money to this world.