[Hawthorn]

Watch out! Any good word about Medved may get you flamed on FR!

[SonOfDarkSkies]

The two most effective and most used but specious appeals by the Obama camp to their followers are purely emotional:

• Opposition to Socialism is "Racism"

• Belief in the efficacy of the Free Market System is "Greed."

Furthermore, notice that Liberals always and only make emotional appeals...because they have no effective logical or rational arguments.

[Sherman Logan]

"In school, we all studied a book called "The Theory of the Leisure Class," which ... indicted the leisure class and these people who were out there exploiting other people and really had nothing to do except sit on their yachts and go to their swimming pools and their vacations."

The Leisure Class exists, but it doesn't consist of working executives. It is mostly made up of people who inherited wealth from working businessmen, and to lesser extent of those who made a pile and quit working. But this second group is rare in America, as most successful entrepeneurs take the money they made selling their business and start another.

Much of the true Leisure Class spends its time sitting around complaining about how evil business and wealth is. Seldom motivates them to give up their own unearned wealth, however.

[My hearts in London - Everett]

“It’s a Wonderful Life” was not the best example to cite in this case. The dishonest, greedy, bad guy in the movie is Potter, the bank owner ~ in real life and even worse in the dream sequence!

[beachn4fun]

And, the truly hilarious part is that most of those who talk about or write about “evil capitalism” are actually profiting from it. Geez, are they thick as bricks or what?

[jnsun]

It's what I call the double thank-you phenomenon. I understand why politicians and lawyers believe it: It's true in their world. But it's not true in business.

This observation is far deeper than a casual essay statement. It is a corollary of the Prisoner's Dilemma's logical ramifications, which itself is a corollary of Godel's Theorem.

In essence it says that imagination, creativity, and faith operate outside the bounds of tete-a-tete game theory. Similarly Man is made in the image of the Creator. And we do not mean here to be maudlin.

There was a post on FR the other day that mentioned "innovating our way out of recession." Same thing.

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, etc. who have produced absolutely nothing worthwhile in their lives, are soooo far over their pseudo-intellectual heads that any intervention in society by them is destined to be a disaster. A really really good manager knows something of this.

And we do see light on FR, although even here the dark ages still infiltrate.

It could have been all different, but the horrific arrogance of Harvard, the CFR, the LEFT, killed us, in this nation. Perhaps others will emerge from the darkness.

Johnny Suntrade

[Maine Mariner]

I have read Veblen’s Theory of the Leisure Class several times. He is right! We do have a leisure class. He was wrong about who is in that class. The leisure class are leftwing trust funders, managers of large foundations, the MSM elite, the Hollywood elite, the Kennedys, and of course Senator Kerry. I am sure FR’s could add to that list.

[fhayek]

ping

[JimRed]

"What's interesting," Medved commented, "is that in the old days, Hollywood would have businesspeople who were very positive: George Bailey, the Jimmy Stewart character, is a banker in 'It's a Wonderful Life.'"

No longer. Today's movie capitalists are criminals or playboys. Apparently, Hollywood writers think it's plausible that CEOs have lots of time to sip cocktails and chase women.

Art imitates life, or is it the other way 'round?

[isthisnickcool]

Wat would Michael Moore be today if not for capitalism? What would Moore be if he gave away access to his movies and whatnot?

ANSWER: Skinny