Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Lions:
My boyfriend says I get annoyed about the Wall Street protests because I lack empathy. But this is absolutely FALSE. I went to see the Lion King 3D and cried twice, okay?!

I'm going home to NY for Columbus day weekend and totally watching the Lion King 3D again because it is the BEST MOVIE EVER!

Phone call with my dad:

Me - "Daddy, do you want to watch Lion King with me when I go home?"
Dad - "Didn't we see that one already...a long time ago?"

Haha. Excited for NYC! I am smiling like this!




Tigers: 
Yankees beat Tigers 10-1! ALCS, here we goooo!

Bears (like the market!):
These articles about Wall Street protests annoy me. Anti-capitalist? Anti-globalization? I understand that people are protesting against corporate greed, exploitation of the "little people," etc. But what alternative systems are being proposed? Autarky? Socialism? If you're so unhappy with capitalist America, perhaps you should move to China and see how much better you like it over there.

I have the same frustration with environmentalists who protest the creation of a market for carbon. Many environmentalists argue that it is morally wrong to put a price on clean air. But if you're shooting down the idea of creating a market for carbon, you are advocating for a price of ZERO on carbon. Congratulations. Pat yourselves on the back. You have made it even EASIER for people to pollute. Ugh.

Also, should corporations not be greedy? Merriam Webster defines "greed" as "a selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed."
Well, how much profit is needed by corporations? Is the needed amount of profit not the maximum amount of profit? Is it not the corporation's duty to be greedy? (so long as they are not packaging products like mortgage backed securities and lying about the inherent risk of these products?) Should the corporation decide how much is "needed" by its shareholders? Milton Friedman talks about the responsibility of corporations in Capitalism and Freedom, but the gist of that chapter in his book can also be found here.

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