exceptions to the rules - such as the vast accumulation of wealth in the face of poverty is the very abnormally that has justifies capitalism's irrational drive to monopoly and poverty.
On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 12:18 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > As the phrase goes, William, I know "where you're coming from" when you and > Saul express your bleak views about equality and the effects of capitalism > -- but I personally can't share those views. > > I won't try to lampoon the phrase, "We are all created equal," because it's > nonsense when made categoric -- nor is it even desirable. "We are all equal > in the eyes of the law," seems something worth striving for to the extent > we can -- and we can succeed to some degree over time. But that we should > all > be born equally tall, fast, smart, musical, handsome, etc. -- that's not > only hilariously impossible, it seems to me to have the makings of a > horrible > science fiction tale. > > As for capitalism's being a hideous system that will always be corruptly > unfair, it hasn't seemed so to me. If you devise something of > benefit/pleasure to loads of people, you have a chance to become -- what? > -- will very > rich do it? If you disdain Bill Gates or Steve Jobs I don't think it can be > because of the products they've given us. And that they should be highly > rewarded does not seem wrong to me. > > I went to work in a small, failing book publishing house in New York. > Eventually, by pursuing a novel strategy -- with a group of gifted, > long-working > people -- it became a big house. A handful of that group none of who came > from rich families -- are now millionaires. They didn't cheat or crush > anyone. > They did nothing they need to be ashamed of. Just the opposite: they > pleased many readers and authors around the world. Can some tactics of > capitalists > be odious? Sure. But to feel the whole system is inevitably evil feels > wrong to me. > > -- S a u l O s t r o w *Critical Voices* 21STREETPROJECTS 162 West 21 St NYC, NY 10011 [email protected]
