Participants In Prosperity

I have seen a flaw in the thinking of some people who speak in favor of capitalism. While they correctly see the role of the businessman, they fail to see the role of any number of others. In fact capitalism owes also to scientists whose knowledge is at the root of everything that business sells; teachers who make people employable; and of course labor, military and police.

This means that the interests of all these people have to be affirmed.

Now there are any number of voices on all sides seeking to demonize or attack the other. The correct response to that is that, if you are getting something out of a relationship, then you are obligated to treat the other party rightfully whatever you believe their character to be. If you think that businessmen are destructive or greedy, then go without business. If you think that scientists and teachers are elitist, then go without technology to sell or an educated workforce to hire. I have seen this situation in a number of man-woman relationships. A partner would get all sorts of things out of the relationship, but then he would decide that the other person is bad. This would justify him in being terrible to the partner even as he was getting all sorts of things out of the relationship. This is behavior that is exploitative and dishonest. Once again, if you are getting something out of the relationship, you are obligated to treat the other party rightfully whatever you think of their character. And if you are failing to do so then you are a jerk.

Does business have a role in prosperity? Of course it does. But then so does science, education and any number of other things. And while the businessman gets tons of money out of doing what he does, the people whose work was necessary to make possible his prosperity do not.

I do not militate against business. My experiences with any number of entrepreneurs were positive ones. Many of these people have good values and really do seek to produce prosperity. Any number of them are also creative and visionary thinkers. Attempting to do away with business is completely wrong, and we have plenty of historical examples toward that. However when business loses touch with reality and forgets whose work has been required to make possible its prosperity, it takes someone like me to remind them.

So that while it is rightful to affirm entrepreneurship, let's not forget whose work has made possible prosperity. Most of what business sells is technology, and technology comes from science. Teachers educate both the businessman and the worker. And the military and the police enforce their safety and property rights.

Once this is understood, there will be less room for ignorance and dishonest practices. And then the market economy will actually function as it is advertised.