“I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
I don't care what President Obama said or didn't say on the campaign trail regarding building or not building a business. We all can accept that there are some of us who work hard and prosper and there are others in our great nation who do not. Either they are not wise enough, are ill, lame, or not so capable as others, either mentally or physically. Yes some may be malingerers. Every society has them. Looking at every population as a scientist might, we learn that all these traits can be plotted on a bell curve graph...ambition ability, wits, business sense, etcetera, etcetera. Those traits are variables which are largely responsible for where a person might show up in the great "success bell curve". Those that do prosper, found in the middle of the curve and the far tail-end, should be rewarded for their efforts.
But none of us live in a vacuum, or on a desert island. We are part of a society, a network of interacting and interconnected individuals, their actions, economic decisions and behaviors. The physician who trains for eight or more post-baccalaureate years (and then more years to gain a speciality) may believe that he or she has done it all by him or herself. He or she can only remember the long hours of study, the financial sacrifice--the still unsatisfied loans. They deserve enormous credit for their hard work, skill, ability, and sacrifice. We can understand and forgive any bias they demonstrate. But an economist, or sociologist (or wise politician) must look at the efforts and successes of these people and understand that their achievement was dependent upon many other factors as well: financial status, family support, the sacrifices of their wives or husbands, the society from which they came, the infrastructure which permitted them to prepare for their work, the librarians, the teachers, and the police who kept their neighborhood safe, the engineers who routed their city electrical supply, all the institutions and infrastructure which were there for them to make their lives sustainable and their sucess possible. The great skein of interactions that made their success possible. None of us live alone on a desert island. We are a socialized animal, and our survival and advancement depends on interactions with others.
The Republicans use of Obama’s statement as a bludgeon, to suggest that he is demeaning their efforts is not fair or valid. What he was stating is a fact...we are all interconnected, we are part of a great nation, not some fictional Randian character, in a John Galt novel, living out isolated, individual greedy lives in an imaginary place. As members of a society, we have a responsibility to our nation and to the citizenry who populate that entity.
Mitt Romney, did not make his $20 or $30 billion dollar fortune in the wastelands of the Sahara. He made it here in the US. To start up Bain Capital he used start-up money from family and friends, and even from shady capitalists from El Salvador. He used government supported loans. He took full advantage of existing businesses and banks, and the infrastructure of this nation and the largess of our government’s policies to support entrepreneurship. He in particular should be wary of using the ”I made it on my own" bludgeon. He came from a wealthy, privileged, politically and financially connected background. Doors were opened (wide) for him, entree into the best clubs, society, and ability to rub shoulders with the rich and well-heeled were all there for his taking. He used those assets to make his own way. But he did use them. How can he claim he built ”it” on his own? He was successful and he deserves credit for his success...but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that he did it all by himself.
This discussion always brings to my mind the image of the Republic of Yemen. Yemen is an Arabic-speaking, hot, dusty, parliamentary republic with an area of about the size of Spain, located on the desertified southwestern tip of the Arabian peninsula, across the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa. It is one of the poorest and least developed nations in the world. It’s population of about 25 million are generally, skinny, underfed (much of its food is UN donated) and thirsty. Each Yemeni must survive for a whole year on the amount of water most of the rest of the world uses in one month. It’s capital city recently completely ran out of potable water. The infrastructure is non-existent. There are few major roads, no rail system, and no network of electrical supply. Electricity in Sana’a, the capital city, is individually produced by oil fired generators. Thus, in Yemen electricity costs 12 times (!)what it would cost in the US. Think of the din in Sana'a with every business running its own noisy, gas-belching generator on its sidewalk or roof top. Think of the choking, gasping levels of air pollution. There is little postal service, and no established medical care. There is little in the way of policing. Only armed tribal bands to intervene were some other nation to invade. In Yemen you are pretty much on your own--for survival. Yemen would be a wonderful place to test out how well a ”staunch” Ayn Rand-style individualist such as Paul Ryan, or Mitt Romney, would do building their empires all on their own then greedily hoarding all of their profits. They are welcome to go there and try.
Think of it...Romney in Yemen!
Get the picture?
rjk
THe truth about ”you didn't build that, staunch individualists Ryan and Romney are invited to Yemen where they can act out a John Gault role.
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