Are ‘free enterprise’ and ‘greed’ synonymous?
October 19th, 2010 | 
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This interview explores the depth and, might I say, shallowness, of Whoopi….
A couple of examples of why we should be careful about listening to entertainers and commentators and journalists…
This years old interview of economist Milton Friedman by entertainment socialist Phil Donohue should be part of every school curriculum in the nation. It’s interesting to note that these entertainment types, like Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar (and Phil Donohue), who’ve made their living in front of a microphone for eight hours a day flapping their jaw…well, a stint on the business end of a shovel, actually working, would do them some good.
Phil Donohue:
“When you see around the globe the maldistribution of wealth, the desperate plight of millions of people in underdeveloped countries, when you see so few haves and so many have-nots, when you see the greed and the concentration of power, did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism? And whether greed is a good idea to run on?”
Milton Friedman:
“Well first of all tell me, is there some society you know that doesn’t run on greed? You think Russia doesn’t run on greed? You think China doesn’t run on greed? What is greed? Of course none of us are greedy. It’s only the other fella that’s greedy. The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. The greatest achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn’t construct his theory under order from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn’t revolutionize the automobile industry that way. In the only cases in which the masses have escaped from the kind of grinding poverty that you are talking about, the only cases in recorded history are where they have had capitalism and largely free trade. If you want to know where the masses are worst off, it’s exactly in the kind of societies that depart from that. So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear, there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.”
Phil Donohue:
“Seems to reward not virtue as much as the ability to manipulate the system.”
Milton Friedman:
“And what does reward virtue? You think the Communist commissar rewards virtue? You think a Hitler rewards virtue? Do you think… American presidents reward virtue? Do they choose their appointees on the basis of the virtue of the people appointed or on the basis of political clout? Is it really true that political self-interest is nobler somehow than economic self-interest? You know I think you are taking a lot of things for granted. And just tell me where in the world you find these angels that are going to organize society for us? Well, I don’t even trust you to do that.”
End of interview
Does ‘drivel meets intellect’ ring a bell?
As much good as Marlo Thomas does, carrying on her father’s (Danny Thomas) good works, I don’t notice she and her husband, Phil Donohue, living in a commune and sharing their wealth with “the desperate plight of millions of people in underdeveloped countries.” Talk’s cheap.
Related posts:
- Even Cuba is catching on…. Free Enterprise blooming!
- NUMBER 1: as of this morning the Tea Party Express song was on top the country charts. I guess some folks out there want to stand up for the Constitution, free enterprise, and less government….
- I’d like to have seen the debate: Karl Marx v. Ben Franklin
- Another Union crook get’s a free ride from Obama!
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