The Difference Between Profit and Greed
Deborah Venable
01/30/10
Since
the education system in this country obviously isn’t doing its job, we
“alternate educators” must step in every now and then and clarify basic
definitions.
The
fact that the profit motive drives every human being, (and no, I’m not just
talking about money) defines the difference between profit and greed. Greed certainly does not drive moral and
ethical human beings. (Still not
talking just about money.) Everyone
should understand that in the America we live in, the vast majority of folks
all have far more than they “need” in terms of possessions and wealth. The simple definition of greed, then, would
make us all very greedy. However,
here’s where morals and ethics get involved.
If we achieved these possessions and wealth at the sacrifice of our
principles (morals and ethics), then we are truly greedy. If we followed the natural law human mandate
of profit motive, (nothing to feel guilty about), and achieved wealth beyond
our wildest dreams, then we are truly blessed.
Those
who would jealously wish the profit of others for themselves are far more
guilty of the big G label. This is
simple stuff, but interwoven in the whole study of profit and greed, we find
those peculiar folks who would demand the profit of others be redistributed to
those with less. These folks are
followers, (worshipers if you will) of the philosophy of communism. One must understand that within the
philosophy/religion of communism, there are no morals or ethics. There is only the finite “pie” of zero sum
economics, but those in charge will end up with the biggest slice of the pie.
I
have written about the zero sum theory many times in the past. One such article pre-dated this website and
was published and linked on various sites back in March of 2002. This article may now be found on this site
as, Zero Sum Economics.
Another early article that dealt with the subject is Economics
and the Puppeteers
– December of 2002. In a more recent
study, I liken the zero-sum game to governing power in an article called, Up
For Grabs - February of 2008. The greed in evidence here is obvious.
But
if you really want to understand profit motive and how it differs from greed,
please read A Profit
Without Honor
– by R. C. Sproul, Jr., dated November 1994.
If there was ever a better article written on the subject of profit, I
haven’t read it yet. This is an
excellent explanation of the profit-driven free market. The demonization of profit going on today,
particularly within government, is certainly nothing new, but the vehemence of
the argument for more and more government controls of profit has served up much
of the current financial crisis. Our
inexperienced and intelligence deprived president and his minions, (including
his wife), would do well to get an education on what really makes a successful
economy tick instead of continually spouting the stupidity laced zero sum
theory.
If
we are truly waking up, may I suggest that we wake all the way up and insist on
the abolishment of the Federal Reserve and the Internal Revenue Service, along
with the progressive income tax. These
things only feed the power and money greed that is the immoral and unethical
inner workings of Washington D.C. A
truly profit-driven, moral, and ethical system would know this. We, the people, are that system – whatever
it is or ever becomes again.