Friday, October 02, 2009

The industry of accountability would pay for itself. An entire league of accountants, lawyers, police, investigators., etc, would be employed to rein in rampant and runaway damage to our planet and the people on it, by those who are a bit over-enthusiastic in the accumulation of money. Overenthusiastic to the point where they will hurt others in order to get ahead. That must be curtailed. The industry of accountability would pay for itself in savings by those who today get away with rampant greed, and rampant destruction of the environment. We are now paying billions if not trillions to support an industry of greed, of fraud, of ruin. We just need to take this excess "energy" and see it spent on positive, proactive and protective measures, rather than on selfish, self destructive measures.

On the other hand, people who want to help others, make a fortune, improve the planet, etc, are welcome to become as wealthy as the world allows. No limits. Complete freedom, just as Milton Freidman would have wanted. It just has to be done without making others suffer.

That is my wish for capitalism today. Not, as Michael Moore might suggest, that it needs to be put to sleep. Not that we need convert to socialism, communism, alcoholsim or any other form of ism that might make us feel good for a day. We might just start with the part that Milton left out. With freedom.......comes responsibility. Starting now.

Humanism. A new form of capitalism

The name is HUMANISM.
The game is how to improve Capitalism so that it can function as it should, without resorting to so much financial cannibalism of each other. So much greed, and so much financial abuse.

We have seen Communism. We have seen Socialism. We have seen Capitalism. They could all be defined this way:
In the first one, man is allowed to exploit his fellow man. In the other two it is just the opposite.

Humanism, on the other hand, is where human beings and human lives are given a place of importance. A priority if you will. How?
Humanism is Capitalism with accountability. With responsibility for ones actions. Not simply the kind we have now were the man with the most lawyers beats up the other man with the least. But real, societal support for fairness, and accountability. Where when one man is beaten or abused by another by capitalistic means, the entire society acts in a manner to correct this. Where predators are not simply allowed to prey on the weakest members of society at will.
Milton Freidman, the Nobel winning economist, with his "FREE TO CHOOSE" motto, left only one small item out. That item is the fact that with freedom comes responsibility. As we all tell our 16 year old when we first give him the keys to the family car. We need to put together a world where every one of us is told the same thing; "with economic freedom, comes a responsibility to behave in a manner appropriate". If you do not, you will be held to account.

Greed is good.......but not it if is used to hurt others. It all too often is allowed to.

Accountability means an entire new industry being introduced. An industry to ensure responsible humane behavior. To curtail the financially insane. To hold them to account for the damage done to other humans, or to the planet. It is an attempt to make our economy sustainable, and sustainable for more than just the top 1% of the population.