Resolved: Federal government bailouts of 3

CAPITALISM IS JUST

Mircia Boari, Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Bucharest, 2006.

“Capitalism: Foundations of Ethical Behavior,” ETHICAL BOUNDARIES OF CAPITALISM, p. 105.

The synthesis of this view has been made in a small but influential work of Albert Hirschman. 'The Passions and the Interests' (Hirschman. 1977), and many contemporary authors get their view from it, whether knowingly or not. In brief, according to this view, capitalism is in its essence a phenomenon, to put it mildly, deprived of intrinsic moral worth, but one should accept it since its consequences are either good, or less bad than those of other forms of activity. What we are dealing here with, is a consequentialist moral justification of capitalism, but not a vindication of it. Let alone the hard-core Marxists and social-democrats, much of the politically minded economic thinking shares in this view.

“Poverty,” CAPITALISM MAGAZINE, Accessed 12-12-2008, .

Keep in mind that the moral justification of capitalism is not the it serves the "needs of the many", but that it protects the rights of every individual -- in particular, it protects the individual from the "many" (majority). Capitalism is not egalitarian, nor "compassionate"; Capitalism is just. What of those who cannot truly help themselves? The few individuals in a capitalist society who are incapable of taking care of themselves -- such as the retarded, crippled, and orphans (which are a small and tiny minority in any free country) -- are provided for through voluntary means, i.e., private charity.
3. A CAPITALIST ETHIC PREVENTS MASS DEATH AND POLLUTION

George Reisman, Pepperdine University Professor Emeritus of Economics, February 19, 2008.

“A Word To Environmentalists,” Accessed 12-12-2008, .

The free market exists to promote prosperity and human life, and that is what it has accomplished, splendidly, with breathtaking brilliance. In the industrialized world, the average person today enjoys a standard of living superior to that of kings and emperors of the past. The whole world’s population is capable of enjoying the same marvelous results, if it adopts economic freedom. But if you call yourself an “environmentalist,” you mark yourself as sharing the goals of mass destruction and death. A socialist dictatorship is the vehicle for achieving those goals, not a free market.

Bruce Ledewitz, Professor of Law at the Duquesne University School of Law, Winter 2003.

“Reviewed Essay: The Promise of Democracy: The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad”, Fareed Zakaria, CAPITAL UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW, 32 Cap. U.L. Rev. 407, p. np.

Zakaria assumes that capitalist policies automatically lead to the development of democracy. The word "automatically" here is no exaggeration. Zakaria even calls the section in which he makes his prediction that Singapore will become democratic "within a generation," You Can't Stop the Machine, and his other policy section is entitled, The Majestic Clockwork. Both titles suggest an automatic and inevitable quality. The machine or the clock here is the strong tendency of capitalist policies to lead to democracy. It just is not possible, according to Zakaria, to liberalize an economy and, at the same time, keep a political system tightly restricted.

Mark Da Cunha, Editor, February 9, 2007.

“Environment,” CAPITALISM MAGAZINE, Accessed 12-12-2008, .

The right to property is not the privilege to damage or pollute the property of others. Witness that the privately owned locks and streams of Scotland are far cleaner than the government owned cesspools of socialist India. What is the solution to pollution? As for the disposing of the pollution of factories, this is a technological solution -- and capitalism, as the system of technological progress, is the only system that can provide such a solution.

CORPORATIONS ARE KEY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

1. MAJOR CORPORATIONS ARE MOBILIZING TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE, November 19, 2008.

“Big U.S. Corporations Urge Quick Carbon Cap-and-Trade Legislation,” Accessed 12-15-2008, .

Five large U.S. corporations and a coalition of investors and environmental groups today announced that they have formed a new organization to lobby for strong U.S. climate and energy legislation in early 2009 to spur a clean energy economy and reduce global warming. The founding members of Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy, to be known as BICEP, are Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, Starbucks, Sun Microsystems and The Timberland Company. BICEP members believe that climate change impacts will ripple across all sectors of the economy and that new business perspectives are needed to solve the climate and energy challenges facing America.
2. CORPORATIONS ARE UNIQUELY SUITED FOR FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL DIALOGUE

David Wigder, Vice President of Business Development at RecycleBank, January 14, 2008.

“Corporations Foster Dialogue On the Environment,” MARKETING GREEN, Accessed 12-15-2008, .

While many corporations leverage the Internet to distribute information about environmental initiatives, a few companies are going much further by facilitating two-way dialogue with stakeholders. Some companies may view such dialogue – via email, web forums, chat rooms and video - as risky, as it may open them up to public scrutiny.  Moreover, this sentiment may be especially true today for those brands that compete in carbon-intensive industries. 

Nonetheless, companies that are bold enough to enter into a dialogue tend to find that the rewards outweigh the risks.  Dialogue creates a direct channel to stakeholders that can be used to gather feedback, build credibility, and engender more loyalty by showing a more human side of the company. 
3. CORPORATIONS CAN BE POSITIVE AGENTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Andrew King, Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College and Ph.D. from the Sloan School of Management at MIT, 2007.

“Cooperation Between Corporations and Environmental Groups: A Transaction Cost Perspective,” ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT REVIEW, Vol. 32, No. 3, p. 889.

For theories of corporations as positive social change agents, this article provides one mechanism for identifying positive social change and for understanding when and how corporations can act as change agents. I return to early moral philosophy to suggest that positive social change occurs when parties reduce impediments to mutually beneficial exchange. Thus, I argue that theories of social change should consider the role of firms in reducing such barriers. I further argue that any analysis of the role of

4. MAJOR CORPORATIONS ARE TAKING THE LEAD IN AGGRESSIVE ACTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Andrzej Zwaniecki, Staff Writer, October 26, 2006.

“U.S. Firms Gearing Up to Tackle Environmental Challenges "Going Green" makes good business sense, experts say,” U.S. Department of State, Accessed 12-15-2008, .

Major U.S. corporations are moving aggressively to address climate change and other environmental concerns through entrepreneurial, technology-driven solutions, experts say. “Almost every day we have major businesses making statements about voluntary commitments to reduce greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions,” Andrew Shapiro, the founder and head of Green Order, said in an October 13 interview. “U.S. companies have seen value and are investing in [better] energy and environmental performance.”

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