Some of your statements need clarification. You write, “It would be difficult to form an argument against someone like Henry Ford or Bill Gates being deserving of more for the improvement they made for mankind, but as exemplified in the Wall St. crash of 2008, not all high earners can be placed in the same category.” High income earners do not equate with inventors. This statement is my personal opinion on two examples of who exemplify Capitalism. Bill Gates has accumulated the most wealth in America through the creation of a company that can be credited with major technical advancements in society. I feel that it’s easy to accept and admire those who have revolutionized the quality of life for so many accumulate so much wealth. I contrast …show more content…
Messmore may agree with your statement that we care less about our neighbors, but it is not because of capitalism but because people expect government to take care of their neighbors. According to Gregg (one of the required readings) states that it is not true that capitalism creates more greed. Greed is a part of human nature, but if a businessman wants successful business, he must treat his customers with consideration, fair, and empathetically. If he operates his business driven by greed, it will eventually fail Therefore, capitalism civilizes …show more content…
I read the piece by Gregg, but do not share the same viewpoint. In The Paradox of Supercapitalism by Robert Reich (which was referenced by Clif Mason and Rick Galusha in the videos, but oddly was removed from the required readings), he discussed how some of the structure of capitalism lead to a system that directly or indirectly supports greed in society. I would consider the company Wal-Mart to be successful, yet I would also use them as evidence that they are born from the system, Reich writes, “The executives of Wal-Mart or any other large company are not brutally insensitive or ruthlessly greedy. They are doing what they’re supposed to do, according to the current rules of the game – giving their customers good deals and thereby maximizing the returns to their investors. Just like players in any game, they are doing whatever is necessary to win. But just as all games require rules to define fair play, the economy relies on government to set the economic ground rules. If the American government wanted to do something about the means Wal-Mart employs, it could change the current