Is capitalism ethical









Evidence why capitalism is ethical








  • This is a global economic ethics manifesto








 Criticisms of capitalism are mostly unjust





Ethical investing and consuming – what you can do?


My personal experience with ethics in the workplace




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Published by Mark Biernat


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  1. Charles Thompson says:

    Rush Limbaugh said that, more people have been fed by greed than charity. I think he trying to justify capitalism. Wealthy greedy people would never feed the hungry without a personal motive. If they can write it off their taxes,or receive public recognition they may give. To give from a heart of compassion is the right motive. Therefore, If the greedy cannot give without something in return,they will not give. Mitt Romney cancelled all of his credit cards, and left his campaign workers stranded without gas money to get home. This man has 250 million dollars. Do you think he would feed the hungry ? On TV Mitt Romney asked people to write a check to storm victims. I noticed that, he didn’t write a check. I wonder what he’s doing these days. Is he still outsourcing jobs ?

    1. Mark Biernat says:

      You are ranting – Romney gave like 30% of his income in charity.
      Do you think Romney caused outsourcing? The US economy is down because of The US Federal Reserve created a bubble and after the bubble nothing is happening because the US can not compete now that Asia and other areas are wired into the global economy.
      Adam Smith argued for ‘enlightened self interest’ – what is wrong with that? By each of us using this society as a whole is better off.
      The anti-capitalists believe in government control, that is the worst as it is the greed of the bureaucrats instead of the people.

      1. There is something interesting evolving in this argument. It seems that there is no sense of control via either capitalism or anti capitalist. Years ago I heard a talk show host say that he’ll give to charity once he made his millions. As cynical as this seemed, there appears to be a lot of truth in this. Which argues if capitalism solves poverty, then why would charity or government be necessary?
        When its big, there appears to be no defining line between big government money or big private money.

        1. Mark Biernat says:

          I think main idea here is big government or big business is bad. It is because the people and workers become marginal. Power corrupts. Small is beautiful and efficient. I have worked in big companies and small companies and small are dynamic and a world wind of ideas, while big is a place to relax and collect a paycheck. Sure you have to move and shake in a big company but not with ideas but more busy tasks. Generally a big company or government is where workers go to retire and collect. Small organizations are where workers are important.

          Basically a number of people I meet that are career government people, and I meet a lot as I am in tourist town, are milk toast. They have no creativity or motivation. This is in contrast to the dynamic entrepreneurs or workers I meet in small ventures.

          Now I am not saying these milk toast government workers are unethical and the job creating entrepreneurs are, I am just saying, most of the government workers I have met are not the sharper tools in the shed. I am talking mostly the Washington D.C. workers. I am not joking either, I should keep a log of these people, they seem detached from the reality of me or you.

          So when people start talking ethics you have to consider the whole picture and the effect it has on society and people’s lives.

          Capitalism challenges people to be the best they can be, using their potential to their fullest ability, while a socialist model is more people hanging out and collecting from other people’s hard work.

          Do not get me wrong, I believe in helping the poor and I lived in Europe and social programs are fine. But as a whole capitalism makes the middle class and poor better off living fuller lives than state controlled economics. North Korea Vs South Korea is the classic example.

          Is capitalism perfect, not really because people abuse the freedom, but is it better than government tyranny and state controlled economics, yes.
          Ethics morals and ideas of economics are hard because you want to be compassionate towards the have nots yet to give the people with less more, you need the greedy or at least aggressive selfish guys out there to create the wealth (not really).
          Yet I suggest capitalist are not really selfish but act on enlightened self interest. I see myself as a capitalist but am not some aggressive greedy guy, just someone using their given brain to do work for myself, family and others.

          So capitalism is ethical if people understand it is not greed but enlightened self interest that is the fuel of the economy.

          1. Interesting, yet is it a duck? Tell me more that is fueling so much dissension? Is it capitalism? Or is it something uglier and more fanatical. Are we putting too much faith in man’s creativity ? And if its God given talent, why are we wasting these gifts benefit so a few can call themselves enlightened?
            We can pretend a lot of things here but lets not call it capitalism when in fact its practically state sponsored. And that might be called fascism. OR communism? A system that might be bailing out people could be called Socialism ? But that my friend sounds too much like modern Europe. We however have preferential treatment to big business. All the so called creators. The job creators continue show the middle class an unemployment rate of 8%. While interest rates are at phenomenal lows, banks are taking the cheap money and turning it over to financial schemes like derivatives. Loans for people for cars, and houses are not happening. Middle class money is being eroded due to deflated wages which is the impetus for economic growth.
            So ethics have to be questioned only because the truth is being coated as cereal is coated with sugar to lure children to eating breakfast. Let stop fooling the people with half cooked fairy tales and call a duck a duck when it is actually duck.

          2. Mark Biernat says:

            Oh I am the first to say that corporate welfare has run amok in America. The Banks, the huge military special interest, I mean the defense industry here in the USA is a machine, the Federal reserve pumping easy money into the economy and the rich are getting richer and the middle class is fading away. Yet the root of this is the government not capitalism. The government lobbies the government special interest and the Federal reserve and central banking. It is the lack of free markets that are causing the middle class to suffer. The middle class is being used. Only capitalism and free markets can correct this.
            In government controlled economies the poor are the average and the elite are the government workers or friends of people with power. This is communism, this is a government economy.
            In a free market we should be a nation of shopkeepers and workshops. And this is a good thing.

          3. Very well summed up. I’m not sure if this is leading to a train wreck or just more unenlightened boring people leading the way to nowhere.

          4. Mark Biernat says:

            The good news is, I think economics in the aggregate does not matter as much as individual economics, that is how can I put money in my pocket in an ethical way and contribute to others by creating a good and service they will need.

            Therefore, that being said, even if there is a train wreck then there will be opportunities. I mean even if a company goes bankrupt there will be a need for someone to sell the liquidation and do the accounting.

            Even if everything is all destroyed through greed and immorality there will be always some decent people who need goods and service. Some one will want to eat organic tomatoes and someone has to provide it to them for example. That is where you and I can come in to make a buck. That is why I prefer capitalism as it is not about anything but enlightened self interest and the idea that people are generally good.

            The whole economy can go down but there is still plenty of room to make money.

  2. Ethics in management is necessary, and strong enforcement by government. This is what will cause only the strong to survive. Here’s a case that should never be allowed, and they got away with it because its somewhere else:

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