Evil Businessmen

[softwareNerd]

Statists blame "evil businessmen" for many of our woes. The truth is this: there are a significant number of businessmen who actively support evil, but not because they are profit-seekers; just the opposite. A lot of money and support for anti-Capitalist ideas comes from businessmen.

There are various motivations for this. I believe that the biggest part of the motivation is genuinely ideological: i.e., businessmen absorb the some type of average ideas of the culture, and want to be good by those standards. So, Buffett echoes John Rawls, with his "ovarian lottery" parable; but, he himself seems as far from a powerluster as one can imagine. There's also an element of guilt that is wound into this, as in the case of Bill Gates buying his way to heaven.

Another motivation is to influence the inevitable. Sometimes, businessmen see that a certain trend is inevitable, even if they do not like it. So, instead of opposing the trend, they get on board, and try to influence it in their favor: trying, perhaps, to "moderate" the negatives.

Yet another motivation is more cynical -- the motivations of the Orren Boyles of the world -- to secure their own position (for now), at the cost of broader economic growth. So, they might -- for instance -- support something that effectively keeps new entrants out of their industry, quite like what unions do all the time.

Here is a letter from the group that calls itself "The Business Roundtable", addressed to Obama. (Notice Rick Wagoner's name on the letterhead!) Not sure what particular mix of motivations moves these people, but this is evil even if they do not understand it.

Next time someone uses a term like "evil businessmen", remember this concrete, because this is what the term ought to mean.

[Jake_Ellison]

Sorry, but just by reading the letter, I don't agree with you.

I had the impression that the subtext of the letter was: "Hey, slow down, buddy, we understand that you ran on change, but America is the best country in the world, and that's because of the way we have been doing things."

The 5 points(including the global warming one) mentioned America's interests, market-based solutions, "an environment that rewards innovation". These are all arguments against socialism. Sure, they were not explicit, or consistent and principled, but I don't think they should be qualified as "evil".

They didn't ask for political favors, it seems to me that they were just trying to point an inexperienced president away from the disastrous direction in which he intends to point this country. (there's talk of executive orders, getting things done early, etc)

If you compare this letter to Obama's campaign plans, it actually takes up a far more moderate position on every single one of the issues (while keeping things vague, careful not to contradict him), I'd say in an attempt to slow him down.

I don't think this is particularly dignified or helpful in the long run, but the intentions aren't evil, only misguided. I think a better plan would be to let Obama fail miserably, and then point the finger at him and denounce his policies as evil. But I can understand someone trying to prevent him from failing too, because that would cause some serious damage to the country.

In closing, I think the real US is not close enough to the America in Atlas Shrugged to be considered evil, and the businessmen who condone government policies while trying to help out, urging moderation, don't qualify as evil because of that. In Atlas Shrugged America, however, a similar letter would be an evil act on the part of any group.

[softwareNerd]

Okay, let's take the points from the letter one by one:

Financial crises: They want more regulation and more government deficits

Trade: They want a "level playing field" that is "pro-US", which is code for slightly increased protectionism, but not too much that it'll start a trade war

Healthcare: They focus on the uninsured and talk of "marketplace solutions". This is exactly what Obama is pushing (in contrast to Hillary), where the government will create a mandate and "incentives" and the market will do the rest

Environment: Climate change... what more to say?

Education: Nothing to say...just vague motherhood and apple-pie stuff

Obama could agree with 100% of that letter. That is a measure of how bad it is.

As for evil, I purposely prefaced my description with a list of various motives. For instance, I admire Buffett in many ways. So, no, I don't think these people are all evil -- far from it. However, they do certain things that are destructive of human life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- even if they do so from good intentions. The letter represents that evil.

[Jake_Ellison]

Ok, I can agree with that. It would be hard for me to defend the letter, because it does bother me too, I just felt a subtle difference between it's language and Obama's campaign's.

[softwareNerd]

Compare the letter above, with the one sent to Obama by the "National Manufacturers Association". As expected, this letter too talks about the environment, and apple-pie, and so on; however, notice the stress they give within each topic:

Energy: "Domestic supply"... code for "lift restrictions on exploration".Also, a call to allow oil from shale

Environment: "Measures to protect environmental quality should be based on factual and scientific data, taking into account the total impact on employment, energy use, resources, land use,..."

Taxes: Cut them for corporations

Technology: More government research money, please. (Boo!)

Legal system: We want tort-reform

Regulatory Policy: Less regulation please, it is costing us $1 trillion every year

Transportation: More government money for "infrastructure" (Boo!)

Foreign Trade: Veiled calls for more protectionism (Boo!)

Health care: No substantial position, but neither any mention of the "uninsured"

Labor Policy: Objections to the Democratic attempt to remove secret ballots in unions

Education: Nothing substantial, but a mention that immigration of skilled people should be encouraged

All in all, this is a much more balanced list than the one from "The Business Roundtable".

Edited November 13, 2008 by softwareNerd