Girls, Business Folx, and People of Color

Tim Cavanaugh | September 3, 2008

It's Palin night at the Xcel Center, and so far everybody at the podium has been a woman, a member of a minority group, an entrepreneur, or all three.

And to tell you the truth, I have no problem with this. This in fact is what I've been looking for from the Republicans: an unabashed assertion that the free market is not a plot against the disenfranchised; it's the best friend the disenfranchised have.

Of course the flip side of this truth is that the free market has no more ardent enemy than a successful businessman. And no politician, Repubican or Democrat, will ever admit that.

Comments

|9.3.08 @ 8:39PM|#

the free market has no more ardent enemy than a successful businessman.

Gee, when did Reason get on the hollywood business-bashing bandwagon?

I've known a lot of successful businessmen and women in my time, and most of them are far more ethical than a typical Reason editor.

-jcr

k$|9.3.08 @ 8:45PM|#

I've known a lot of successful businessmen and women in my time, and most of them are far more ethical than a typical Reason editor.

hey, jcr. don't bash my reason homies! you go to hell! you go to hell and you die!

Seward|9.3.08 @ 8:50PM|#

John C. Randolph,

The point of the comment was that many successful businessmen often try to curtail competition, etc. via seeking influence in government decision making re: regulation, etc. BTW, if I recall correctly Cavanaugh's statement echoes somewhat a statement by Adam Smith.

|9.3.08 @ 8:52PM|#

Seward,

I'm quite aware of the tendency of some businessmen to seek government interference in the market. What I'm objecting to is Cavanaugh's blanket condemnation of businessmen in general.

-jcr

SIV|9.3.08 @ 9:08PM|#

Born rich white guy on now
I really hate Mitt

|9.3.08 @ 9:14PM|#

I've known a lot of successful businessmen and women in my time, and most of them are far more ethical than a typical Reason editor.


Interestingly enough, the particular businesswoman holding a prominent position with the McCain campaign who spoke a few minutes ago at the convention is neither successful nor ethical.

Tom Walls|9.3.08 @ 9:21PM|#

They just showed a guy dressed up as Lincoln on the convention floor.

Reminded me of a Mr. Show skit set at a Civil War reenactment where two Lincolns showed up.

TheNewBoss|9.3.08 @ 9:41PM|#

I am proud to say that the Lincoln guy is a delegate from my home state of Missouri.

|9.3.08 @ 10:17PM|#

Did Guiliani just say to become energy independent McCain will use nuclear bombs instead of nuclear power?

|9.3.08 @ 10:25PM|#

Sorry, on rewind he said power.

|9.3.08 @ 11:34PM|#

the free market has no more ardent enemy than a successful businessman.

Oh, horseshit. The free market has no more ardent enemies than politicians and bureaucrats who owe their livelihoods, status, and self-respect to bashing and wrecking it.

|9.4.08 @ 12:09AM|#

R C Dean:

"Naturally, existing businesses generally prefer to keep out competitors in other ways. That is why the business community, despite its rhetoric, has so often been a major enemy of truly free enterprise" - Milton Friedman

I think it's overstating it to say that there is "no more ardent" enemy, but Friedman certainly thought that the word "major" was appropriate.

|9.4.08 @ 12:17AM|#

Adam Smith says nothing positive above businessmen. He noted that they are the worst enemies of a free market. Everyone has self interest at heart.

R C Dean

Politicians aren't for or against free markets. Each individual politician acts pragmaticaly and if we the voters wanted free markets, politicians would bash businessmen in a second.

|9.4.08 @ 7:37AM|#

Politicians aren't for or against free markets.

Broadly speaking, politicians have a built-in bias against free markets, because such markets reduce the area subject to the control of politicians.

There are exceptions, of course, but most politicians see free markets, at best, as a necessary evil to be tolerated only for their unmatched ability to generate tax revenue.