Another Point Of View
My Son Obtained His Undergraduate And Graduate Degrees In Business And Economics, Finance And Banking At Northwood University. Four Days Ago, A Professor There, Timothy G. Nash, Sent A Letter To A Local Newspaer. The Midland Daily News Printed The Letter Titled “Northwood’s Nash says some markets encouraging, others not so much”
This Letter Gives A Different Prospective On Profit And It’s A View I Can Relate To More Than That Of Folks Who Keep Bashing Corporations, Profits, And “Greed.”
Begin quote:
Here is an old story with an important message. It is titled: “I’m for people, not for profit.”
Once upon a time there was a Little Red Hen who scratched about and uncovered some grains of wheat. She called her barnyard neighbors and said, “If we work together and plant this wheat we will have some fine bread to eat. Who will help me plant the wheat?”
“Not I,” said the Cow. “Not I”, said the Duck. “Not I” said the Goose. “Then I will”, said the Little Red Hen and she did.
After the wheat started growing, the ground turned dry and there was no rain in sight. “Who will help me water the wheat?” asked the Little Red Hen.
“Not I,” said the Cow. “Not I,” said the Duck. “Not I,” said the Pig. “Equal rights,” said the Goose. “Then I will,” said the Little Red Hen and she did.
The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. “Who will help me reap the wheat?” asked the Little Red Hen.
“Not I,” said the Cow. “Not I,” said the Duck. “Out of my classification,” said the Pig. “It is not in my contract,” said the Goose. “Then I will,” said the Little Red Hen and she did.
When it came time to grind the flour, “Not I. said the Cow. “I’d lose my welfare benefits,” said the Pig. “I’d lose my unemployment compensation,” said the Duck.
When it came to bake the bread, “That’s overtime for me,” said the Cow. “I’m a dropout and never learned how,” said the Duck. “I’d lose my welfare benefits,” said the Pig. “If I’m the only one helping, that’s discrimination,” said the Goose.
“Then I will,” said the Little Red Hen and she did. In fact, she baked five loaves of fine bread and held them up for her neighbors to see.
“I want some,” said the Cow. “I want some” said the Duck. “I want some,” said the Pig. “I demand my share!” said the Goose.
“No,” replied the Little Red Hen. “I can rest awhile and eat the loves myself.”
“Excess profits!” cried the Cow. “Capitalistic leech!” exclaimed the Duck. “Company fink!” grunted the Pig. “I will call Michael Moore!” screamed the Goose and they hurriedly painted picket signs and marched around the Little Red Hen, singing, “We shall overcome.”
And they did. For when the Farmer came to investigate the commotion, he told the Little Red Hen, “You must not be greedy. Look at the oppressed Cow. Look at the disadvantaged Duck. Look at the underprivileged Pig. Look at the less-fortunate Goose. You are guilty of making second-class citizens of them.”
“But – but – but – I earned the bread,” said the Little Red Hen.
“Exactly,” said the wise Farmer. “That is the wonderful free enterprise system; anybody in the barnyard can earn as much as he or she wants. You should be happy to have this freedom; in other barnyards you would have to give all five loaves to the Farmer. Here you only have to give four loaves to your suffering neighbors.”
The Little Red Hen obliged and walked away in silence…
It has been some time since the Farmer’s lecture. The barnyard is now dilapidated, the animals are always hungry, and the Little Red Hen, well, she left some time ago.
The hostility toward the Little Red Hen’s success was based on greed and ignorance. Today, those who defend the profit motive face the same obstacles. Too many people are envious of a profitable business and/or just don’t understand profit. The U.S. now has the second highest corporate income tax rate in the industrialized world and the top 1 percent of income earners pay nearly 40 percent of all personal income taxes…will America’s little red hens keep investing in the U.S.?
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The one-percent earners, corporations, and profits are not dirty words in our family. We’ve got too many folks in the U.S riding in the wagon and not enough pushing it. The folks riding are whining about the folks pushing it and calling them “greedy one-percenters” and making profit seem like a dirty word. I’m more the pusher. The rider, whiner, not so much.
Be careful what you wish for.
CSA