Posted on 01/13/2012 6:14:08 PM PST by VinL
Furthermore, making a profit is only one component of owning a business. Whatever happened to the idea that you are responsible for your workers and to the larger community? Too often, people feel like just pawns in a ‘game’ of ever increasing largesse for the top dogs. The big shots are always the winners – often getting payouts in the millions when their companies fail — and the “losers” are left to figure out how to eat or buy clothes for their children. (A new study found that $100 million “golden parachutes” have become commonplace for failed CEOs).
Romney’s “class envy” claim is predicated on a lie we often here from the uber-rich and their defenders: the highest goal and achievement for Americans is to be wealthy, when all most people want is to be able to provide a decent lives for their families…
The unlikely hero in this tale has been Newt Gingrich, who has been making the most coherent argument for ethical capitalism. Says Gingrich, what we want is, “a free enterprise system that is honest. . . fair to everyone and gives everyone an equal opportunity to pursue happiness.” Criticizing Romney’s brand of free enterprise, (Newt)said, “It’s not fine if the person who is rich manipulates the system, gets away with all the cash and leaves behind the human beings.”
Be still my heart.
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
Wrong.
The economic strength which built western civilization is not founded on greed alone.
It’s founded on the pursuit of earnings through hard work and tempered by the Christian moral code.
Not capitalism alone—capitalism along with Christianity.
Right! Exactly! It’s the referee.
"This disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect persons of poor and mean condition, though necessary both to establish and to maintain the distinction of ranks and the order of society, is, at the same time, the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments. That wealth and greatness are often regarded with the respect and admiration which are due only to wisdom and virtue; and that the contempt, of which vice and folly are the only proper objects, is often most unjustly bestowed upon poverty and weakness, has been the complaint of moralists in all ages."
“Ethical” is not a bad word, but using it, as Newt and Powers are, as a ruse for making the same kinds of anti-capitalist canards as the Left is disgusting.
Talk about attempting to clothe oneself in self-righteousness.
Ethical free enterprise is the very spirit of our Constitution.
Yeah yeah, more of that theocratic nonsense. Christianity had nothing to do with capitalism. What you call “greed” is merely logical business practice. Sheesh, haven’t any of you people read Ayn Rand?
Is there something unethical about capitalism such that it needs to be qualified by the word ethical?
Capitalism is like a vehicle or a gun, which have no ethics, good or bad. The guy controlling either one, on the other hand ...
Capitalism is ethical when the guy using it adheres to the "Christian system," as one of the Founder's put it.
John Quincy Adams said: "The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal code as well as a moral and religious code ...."
Like everything else in human civilization, capitalism thrives when people adhere and adapt their behaviors to that Judeo-Christian code. Capitalism, like everything else in human civilization, decays and self-destructs when that code is ignored. It's just like evolution, which, far from being "survival of the most ruthless," actually comes down to: Adapt or perish.
In capitalism like everything else, we adapt to the word of God ... or perish, as countless barbarian, heathen civilizations have perished before now.
Damn, you’ve discovered my hidden identity. There’s no keeping anything from a genius of your abilities. I am humbled.
You know what I've never seen them in my office on Saturday night or Sunday morning trying to figure out how to make the cash flow work in the short term. The community loves to tax me at higher rates. A businessman's responsibility is to make the business profitable.
I agree with Newt. What we have witnessed, for decades now (and getting worse), it what is called GODLESS Capitalism.
The mentality is “what’s mine is mine.” Totally selfish and greedy.
No different than George Bush using the feelings word “compassionate.”
Whatever the intention, any time you see an emotion qualifier attached to a system of thought, you can be sure it is or will utilized for Lefty ends.
What I’m trying to explain to you is that the combination of both Christianity and free enterprise are the origin of the economic success of our society.
Most important is that without Christianity, free enterprise will fail.
Thank you.
You’re just jealous because you’re one of those dumb schmucks who isn’t smart or strong enough to own your own business. Rand warned us about people like you.
Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow?
“No!’ says the man in Washington, ‘It belongs to the poor.’
‘No!’ says the man in the Vatican, ‘It belongs to God.’
‘No!’ says the man in Moscow, ‘It belongs to everyone.’
I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different.
The author is a liberal Democrat spouting populism. The following is from the populist big guy vs little guy imagery playbook. Expect to hear more of it coming from Democrats during the general election.
“Whatever happened to the idea that you are responsible for your workers and to the larger community? Too often, people feel like just pawns in a ‘game’ of ever increasing largesse for the top dogs. The big shots are always the winners – often getting payouts in the millions when their companies fail — and the “losers” are left to figure out how to eat or buy clothes for their children.”
As I said, ethical capitalism is the spirit of our Constitution.
Whatever happened to the idea that you are responsible for your workers and to the larger community?
***************
WM,
We are not talking about the average honest business person. We are talking about an oligarchy in DC, 535 fiefdoms, who do not engage in capitalism- they engage in a plutocracy to insure their perpetual power and wealth. Big difference.
An you, as an honorable business, exist solely at their mercy.
A liberal who even dated Anthony Weiner!
Why does no one seem concerned that Powers is leaping to Newt’s anti-capitalist defense here?
That should be a huge red (and I do mean RED) flag, not something to post smug “go Newt” smilies over.
Sure. You’re just trying to use your religious mumbo-jumbo to steal my wallet. All you social justice religious fanatic types are the same.
This populist garbage only leads to malinvestment. A business should be run to make a profit. If the labor force brings something to the table it's good business to pay them well enough that they don't leave for a better opportunity. The business is not a social welfare agency.
We have enough laws on the books to insure public safety in the products produced and labor laws to make sure no one is treated badly.
Gingrich in his rage against Romney has taken an unAmerican tack. If we want a socialist utopia we should go to Europe.
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