|
|
|
| Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, February 20 2013 @ 05:44 AM EST |
Over a century ago, G.K.Chesterton described what he called "a most monstrous
and mythical superstition of Adam Smith":
"...a theological theory
that
providence had so made the world that men might be happy through
their
selfishness; or, in other words, that God would overrule everything
for good, if
only men could succeed in being sufficiently bad.
The intellectuals in this
epoch taught definitely and dogmatically
that if only men would buy and sell
freely, lend or borrow freely,
sweat or sack freely, and in practice, steal or
swindle freely,
humanity would be happy. The Common Man soon found out how
happy; in the Slums where they
left him and in the Slump to which they led
him."
--G.K.Chesterton "The Common Man".
[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
|
| |
| Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, February 20 2013 @ 05:49 AM EST |
That's how many see it, but they're blind to the fact that cooperation, the
willingness of humans to work together, is what makes any form of organization
possible. The sociopaths only see what they do work because most of us aren't
sociopaths. The theory only appears to be correct if you ignore that.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
|
- Greed... - Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, February 20 2013 @ 06:36 AM EST
- Greed... - Authored by: rnturn on Wednesday, February 20 2013 @ 10:29 AM EST
- The Darwinian Angle - Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, February 20 2013 @ 06:52 AM EST
| |
| Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, February 21 2013 @ 03:57 PM EST |
In a well regulated free market, fraud and force are forbidden. I can get
nothing from you unless without giving something you find of sufficient value.
Given those constraints the pursuit of self interest works towards the common
good.
Greed without boundaries is destructive.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
|
| |
| Authored by: YurtGuppy on Thursday, February 21 2013 @ 04:17 PM EST |
To anonymous greed basher
The correct formulation is that capitalism is based on the premise that people
act in their own self interest. People express their self interest by spending
their time and money on the things they want or need. And they provide for the
needs of others in exchange for capital to actuate their desires.
Sorry if that bothers you. You can stamp your foot and call Monsanto greedy.
It really has no meaning. And your labeling them greedy (which is a proxy for
seeking power) is also an attempt to seek power by making them outcasts.
So put that in your pipe and smoke it.
---
a small fish in an even smaller pond[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
|
|
|
|
|
