[friendociate]

Now, 'Bleeding-Heart Liberals' might be something I'm using wrong, a lot like Second Thought gets Capitalism wrong ...

He's right that Americans' social democracy IS NOT 'socialism' (yes, it IS "from each, according to their ability," but it's NOT NECESSARILY "to each, according to their need"), but he's NOT EXACTLY right that "capitalism is an absurd economic system where a tiny unelected minority of people get the vast majority of people to work for them so that they can get wealthier."

The 'getting wealthier' IS a common side-effect of 'getting the vast majority of people to work for you,' but that's only AFTER a huge amount of work gets done!

Take 'the automobile': the owners of its manufacturing-companies DO make huge amounts of money 'perched on the shoulders of their legions of factory-workers'; but how could you get MORE cars made? by paying as many workers as possible 'a wage slightly above "Living-"' or by hiring fewer workers so that the fewer cars they produce will earn you less money?

An economist of Dallas puts it this way:

... Most Americans are appallingly ignorant about the way businesses actually function and the blessings free enterprise brings. Too many industries and companies are relying on paid advertising to carry their message—or they may be relying on the power of prayer. They should remember what one of the great Catholic cardinals once said: Pray hard, but row away from the rocks.

The message to CEOs is, it’s time to start rowing. Get out in front of any and all groups to talk about how businesses employ people, create jobs and wealth, and how decisions about taxes and regulations that affect business have an impact on people’s lives.

For a good example of inflammatory rhetoric about capitalism, consider Sen. Barack Obama’s comment about Irving-based ExxonMobil in February. “ExxonMobil made $11 billion last quarter,” Obama said. “They don’t want to give those profits up easily.”

The comment betrayed no recognition of the fact that ExxonMobil’s earnings go to pension funds and individuals who have invested in the company. There was no mention of how the changing world environment has made exploration riskier and more difficult. Even more disturbing than Obama’s comment was the silence that greeted it from the business sector. While one can understand ExxonMobil’s reluctance to mix it up with the hot politician of the moment, where were other business leaders?

Virtually everyone who has been in business agrees that business leaders need to get out, explain, and advocate. “Free enterprise is to economic freedom what democracy is to political freedom,” says former Sen. Phil Gramm, who holds a Ph.D. in economics. “While few Americans would think of taking away someone’s right to exercise their political freedom, it’s commonplace for politicians to call for taking away people’s rights to economic freedoms and the fruits of their success.” Gramm’s wife Wendy, also a Ph.D. in economics and a former director of the Bureau of Economics of the Federal Trade Commission, adds: “If people who understand and benefit from free enterprise don’t talk about it and advocate it, who will?”...