Stream Your Event | Partners | Speakers CART ITEMS: - | CHECKOUT

Michael Novak: The Ethics of Capitalism

Watch Full Video | previews

Chautauqua Institution

Info
Bio
Chapters
Preview
Download
Zoom In

Michael Novak Defends Rich-Poor Gap

02 min 38 sec

Add to Profile

Philosopher and theologian Michael Novak argues that the widening gap between rich and poor is both mathematical inevitability and mutually beneficial.

"The common good does not mean equality; the only way you can get equality is with tyranny," he says. "I think it's a great mistake to worry about the [rich-poor] gap."
Watch Full Program

01 hr 07 min 31 sec

Add to Profile

There are 52 comments on this program

Please or register to post a comment.

Previous FORAtv comments:

Page 4 of 6

« First

antiguajohn

Posted: 08.07.09, 12:24 AM

tlahw, You postulate that Germany is a "mono culture", as if to imply this is the reason for their success. However you seem to ignore the fact that the US has a more productive work force, if the reason for Germany's export leadership was a mono culture, it would have to manifest itself in the form of having a more productive work force than the US, as it does not, and your point is moot. I am inclined to look not for something Germany has, but rather a flaw in the US model. Extemporaneously, I would suspect Germany's long tradition of working your way to the top by starting at the bottom, endows one with a broad, full and rich experience of the industry which you end up running. This multi year acquired in depth knowledge is what gives German companies their competitive edge. Compare this to the US, where business school graduates lack this essential insight into the companies they are hired to lead. The entire focus is not on improving product, but instead the focus is on quarterly profits driving stock prices, and the accompanying stock options, which are the chief focus of executives. This is focusing on short term returns and combined with a lack of improving the product leads down the path of, first boost stock prices, then sell the business or export production to low wage countries. In the end, executives will walk away with an incredible amount of money earned over what is a really short time span. Compare this to German executives, expending many years working their way to the top; they would be aghast at the thought of selling or moving production of a company with such a long and rich heritage, to another country. The American executive has meanwhile moved on to the next "hot market", like financial services, no need for putting in years learning the rules. We’re making up the new rules as we go and grow, ......... unless something unexpected happens, or perhaps, what if the system was flawed and doomed to begin with? Who cares! I got my offshore tax haven account, my jet, my yacht, my mansion in the Hamptons, my Caribbean winter estate. etc. etc.. John

Costaire

Posted: 08.06.09, 08:15 PM

My first intuition is to reject what this guy is saying. However, I tend to be more empathetic then the mass human animal population. In higher primate society just as in the lower thinking animal portion of organisms, opportunistic behavior is the norm, for what appears to be evolutionary and competitive processes that ensure survival. So in an ultimate sense this guys logic is not all that astray. Insofar as equality can only be had through tyranny I think he is also onto something. Whereas the message of the Bible and Jesus proclaim peace through a tyrannical system it seems that even religious people would have to be on board with this message. God and Monotheism is essentially a tyrannical system that advocates equality but only to those who agree and accept the "God" message. To all those who don't you burn, now or eternally. In the future of this fabricated delusion, and if we play out the logic envisioned by the Monotheistic traditions, equality and peace are only had when all the heretics and non-believers are succumb to this tyrannical ideology. Plain and simple. Freedom and liberty do not ensure equality, and it has never been proven that this is possible given the current evolutionary status of higher primate civilizations. So with respect to what we now have, Capitalism and Democracy to not advocate nor do they envision a system of equality. In all intense and purposes it was never set up to be a system of equality. The only equality is passage into the game to see if you win or lose. 95% of the population usually loses and the rest are relegated to normalcy, survival, and poverty. The five percent who can achieve supremacy do so at the exploitation of this very fact. A person does not attain status, fame, and riches by being the nicest guy on the block nor does he attain wealth by giving to the masses. All though a moral stand point, it is not the position of the democratic or capitalistic systems.

tlahw

Posted: 08.06.09, 12:00 PM

Hi, Germany is a mono culture. If you want to fill out a tax form or any form for social benefits, guess what language it is in, German. In their schools they only teach in one language, German. Guess what everyone learns German! Germany has a trade surplus with China. There is one way to do it and it is the German way. Religion will never go away, it is widespread in every culture. If Christianity goes away in the US it will be replaced by Islam. I would rather be in a country where I may disagree with Christians over some issue, but in Islam there is only one way and if you don't like it they kill you or take you away your rights. Anybody in favor of moving to Saudi Arabia? Tim

marcomauas

Posted: 08.06.09, 10:46 AM

The only little problem with all the mambo jumbo of all the secular--pseudo secular--posts here, is the question why is such a great number of humans chose religion as a way of life? Being terrorized by religion does not seem to be too enlightened. It may be politically correct, but it is much more politely than politically. Sigmund Freud was much more clear on this, even clearer than Hegel and Marx. Freud wrote that there are in humans 3 basic "drive desires" --Wunschtriebe--: the pleasure to kill (Mordlust), Incest and cannibalism. The present day status of civilization does not seem to contradict this statement. And he stated that religion's appeal is caused by the fact that religion gives humans a sort of invitation to confront these no-so-scientific or cognitive aspects of humanity.

Bob Jacobson

Posted: 08.06.09, 09:39 AM

Novak is an apologist for tyranny by the rich.

dimpossibility

Posted: 08.06.09, 08:08 AM

Oops! I must have turned on Fox!

Frith Woodward

Posted: 08.06.09, 07:56 AM

I'd have to disagree with the count of my lack of knowledge sacktownjudge. I was a religious leader for 15 years. I taught on Christianity, Judaism, Muslim, and Pagan faiths. The net scope of religion is like any other hierarchal scheme. To gain personal power through self promotion, and to gain social power through numbers and influence. The 3 reasons churches do charity is,they were told to, to make themselves feel good, and to influence and convert. All religions are the same they are derived from the same internal human needs, and when studied have the same core message and effect.

Jake F

Posted: 08.06.09, 07:55 AM

We dont have a case of 10% growth in the poor though, or any growth for that matter. Trying to divert the issue by viewing it through the lens of percentages without acknowedging this is rather dishonest in my opinion. Sign of envy indeed, how dare the peasants want medical care, retirement funds, the means to send their children to college etc? high wages produce consumers.

tsmitheugene503

Posted: 08.05.09, 11:32 AM

maybe if he wasn't swimming in his own money he would feel a lot differently. antiguajohn- "The capitalist system is the best system so far, for generating more money for more people, however we do not have a capitalist system, we have a crony capitalist system, which has been gamed to benefit the few." I completely agree.

William Simmons

Posted: 08.05.09, 10:44 AM

That self-interest that so many of you are opposed to is the factor that has made our country and so many others rich. The point was made that the free market does not stop individuals from providing goods to the poor if they desire... or gain from the act (self-interest). Religion (as sctownjudge points out very well) and government are institutions that are made up of people- some good, some bad. We need those "checks and balances" in our society and government to make sure that a person's self-interest does not go to the extreme-- greed (where others are hurt). The free market provides for the betterment of both parties involved in exchanges that are freely entered into. Some of the responders should brush up with a basic economics textbook. Michael Novak is an extremely intelligent man who explains the free market system and how it works. Is it perfect? No... it's made up of people... who are never perfect.

Page 4 of 6

« First