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The ethical issues stemming from the financial turmoil US-based academic Stephen Hicks, whose excellent website I occasionally check in on, is taking part in a conference in Las Vegas on 11-13, April, next year. And he is raising the issue of what are the ethical issues stemming from the turmoil. As he rightly notes, a lot has been said and written about the economic, political, even legal sides of the drama. But the ethics? Not so much. If you want to mix a bit of food for the brain with a few sessions at the blackjack tables and the odd show, this might be a fun few days.
It is certainly like to be more intellectually and sensually stimulating than watching the latest offerings of Michael Moore or the Hugo Chavez fan, Oliver Stone. Update: talking of which, how interesting it is that Mr Stone should champion a regime that exercises media censorship.
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Two interesting topics that should have top priority in a conference like this:
(1) Is fractional reserve banking ethical, or is it an elaborate government-backed scam?
(2) Is “monetary policy” (i.e. government manipulation of the money supply) ethical, or is it a colossal and diabolically devious scheme of larceny and counterfeiting?
Compared to the importance of these two questions, even such major issues like the CRA, the bailouts, etc. are frankly small potatoes.
“Is “monetary policy” (i.e. government manipulation of the money supply) ethical…?”
Are you serious?
Yes Oliver Stone supports Chavez – it has long been clear that Mr Stone does not regret the Vietnam war, he just regrets not being on the Communist side at the time. No doubt in his fantasy life the “boat people” do not get away – and the Communists get to murder more millions of people (with Mr Stone as a leading Comrade – up to his neck in the blood of “reactionary” peasants).
However, Mr Stone has not been appointed “Diversity” Commissar with orders from Comrade Barack Obama to crush freedom of speech in the United States – that role has gone to Mr Mark Lloyd.
For those who may read this and think “how dare he imply that the President of the United States is a Marxist”…….
Mark Lloyd is a Chavez supporter – and not just generally, specifically on the extermination of dissenting radio and television stations (a policy he wishes to bring to the United States).
“But Obama does not know” (the next defence) – then why appoint Mr Lloyd. Indeed why CREATE the special position of “Diversity Officer” at the FCC for Mr Lloyd?
This was not done because Mr Lloyd has nice eyes – it was done because of Mr Lloyd’s political plans.
To say “Obama does not know” (about Mr Lloyd or the other 30 odd Commissars he has appointed) is absurd.
Financial ethics – more complicated than it might seem.
For example, the CEO (and creator) of “WholeFoods” has recently publically opposed Comrade Barack Obama – and the CEO has come under attack for doing so.
And NOT just from leftists.
After all there are the shareholders to consider – if there was retaliation against the company (and there is already a bycott of its products because the CEO dared to oppose Comrade Barack) the shareholders would suffer.
This leads on to wider matters.
For example, say your company has debt and the Federal Reseve offers to buy your bonds – are you to say “no – begone agents of the Devil, you are seeking to introduce more credit money into the system”.
What happens if the Fed is offering the best terms for your bonds – and he only other buyers (who are offering you less favourable terms) are going to sell on to the Federal Reserve anyway?
This is the real problem with corporation (not the legal myths dug up by some libertarians) – the problem of hurting others when you make a stand.
However, even in a business where one owns 100% there is this problem – as one may not have shareholders, but one still has employees.
Ethics gets hard where one is not a person who employees nobody – and has no family for the left to attack.
It is easy to make as stand if you are (for example) Paul Marks.
All the left could do is kill me (if I was a threat – which I am not nearly important enough to be) and I do not give a toss about that.
But if I was a family man…….
Ethics is hard.
Of course one of the aims of the book that Mr M. Moore is currently raving about, “The Comming Insurrection”, is the destruction of the family.
So even if people do not oppose the left (indeed cooperate with the left) – the left is out to destoy their familes anyway. Because they like doing stuff like that.
However, if I had the eyes of a wife and children looking up at me (full of love and trust) I might find it hard to be so cold hearted as I am – and therefore I would avoid trouble where I could.
In response to Paul’s comment..
“This was not done because Mr Lloyd has nice eyes – it was done because of Mr Lloyd’s political plans.”
This made me laugh.
You are right though when you say “To say Obama does not know about Mr Lloyd or the other 30 odd Commissars he has appointed is absurd.”
Obviously it has something to do with the political plans of Mark Lloyd. Why else would he create the special position of “Diversity Officer” at the FCC him?
America is not a free market economy. As David Cay Johnston and Dean Baker have exposed, many American companies sponge off the taxpayer via corporate welfare.
America most resembles Mussolini’s Italy.
Welfare Queens Lockheed Martin and their crappy jet plane which needs maintenance every 3 hours (fleecing the taxpayer even more, how convenient for them). No wonder they need welfare, they are so inept they can’t even compete with ancient Russian Migs.
Corporate Welfare is fully supported by the Republicans, indeed Bush was a huge fan of giving taxpayers money to corporations, for it was he who presided over the Fascist “cost-plus” policy which led to the US taxpayer being totally screwed by greedy defence contractors, and indeed the inept contractors who can’t even do something as simple as supply electricity, such is their mammoth incompetence.
Look at US baseball and “football”; subsidized by the taxpayer! Even communist nations are not that extravagant with taxpayer dough. The country is in deficit yet the NFL gets welfare, and the Republicans support it?
Corporate Welfare is supported by both Republicans and Democrats Relugus.
And the person who supports it the most is Barack Obama -which is why corporations like General Electric support him. Of course I have the opinion that Obama is planning to backstab his “friends” at some point – but them I am evil paranoid McCarthite (and proud of it).
As for Mussolini – the American Progressives (including FDR) loved him, or have you forgotten?
Of course hard core reactionaries in the United States (“stone age” types) opposed his policies, but there you go.
On government subsidies for Football and Baseball.
I am going to take a risk here Relugus – I am going to name some people in Washington I think might not support such things (you can refute me if I am
wrong).
People like Congressman Pence of Indiana, or Congressman Ryan of Wisconsin.
Or Senator De Mint of South Carolina.
The Republic is not yet dead – at least I do not believe so.