"Giving back to society" is a swell little notion but an entirely loaded one in our opinion for if you "give back", what exactly did you "take" in the first place?
Excellent video below that explores the morality of profits and conversely the immorality of subsidies that is exemplified (but not called out, specifically) in the rigged, crony capitalism of the Big Green sector of our nation's economy.
"We deal as equals by mutual consent to mutual advantage and I am proud of every penny that I have earned in this manner." - Hank Rearden, Atlas Shrugged
"When people enter into a voluntary transaction, they all expect to benefit but an involuntary transaction benefits some at the expense of others."
"Profits earned honestly in the market place are moral. They arise from morality and they reinforce morality. The search for profit through voluntary exchange teaches people to be civil."
It's not "giving back", it's simply being civil and generous with the profits one has made from an honest and beneficial-to-society business enterprise.
H/T: Hot Air
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2 comments:
It is a loaded little phrase, no?
Part of why I'm not a libertarian (pure philosophical libertarian, to be clear-- the word is so broadly applied that I'm well inside of some uses) is because I do believe that we get something that we have to give back, but it's in a totally different direction from what the phrase is used for...in no small part because the folks that gave us what we have are mostly beyond returning it, and it's wildly unlikely for there to be a need for a direct return for those still living is small.
Society depends on "paying it forward"-- working to continue and improve the society. This is REALLY far from what people generally mean when they say "tive back to society," since that usually means "Hey! You have something nice! Spread it to the others who benefited from society as you have!" as opposed to "Hey! You have something nice! How can you use it so the next generation can be even better?"
It's rather cool that you choose the word "civil"- it fits perfectly!
"Charity" has the tedious hang-up of having a religious connotation...sort of inconvenient if one wants to avoid moral standards.
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