Wednesday, October 3, 2012

A Job Creator's Manifesto

James Kwak:
I know that business success depends as much on luck as on innovative ideas and hard work. I know that the amount of money you make is not an indication of your value as a person or even of the value of your work.
I know that life is unfair. I know that there are people who live by the rules, pay their bills, and work hard, yet cannot afford to retire comfortably. I know that there are people who become disabled in the prime of their careers; who pay for long-term care for their parents; who struggle to pay the medical bills for their sick children; who are laid off in the depths of a recession and are unable to find new jobs.
I believe that to remain a great nation, we must do two things.
First, we must preserve the equality of opportunity that makes it possible for any American to dream of success or, at least, to look forward to a better future. We must invest in our educational system, from pre-school programs that help bridge the gap between rich and poor to public universities that train the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. We must fight discrimination in all its forms so that our society can benefit from the talents of all its members. We must ensure equal access to justice for all people, not just those who can afford good lawyers.
Second, we must recognize that not everyone will be financially successful and we must maintain a real safety net for people who need help. A society where the lucky few reap prodigious financial rewards is one where many will fall short of their dreams through no fault of their own. We must insure all people against disability, against sickness, against hunger, and against homelessness.
Wow.  Humility and common sense aren't dead yet, and entrepreneurs aren't all entitled assholes.  I am glad people are standing up to the conservative job creator myth.

1 comment:

  1. And another thing. If we are going to make such a fetish of start-ups and encourage WAY more start-ups than can ever support so much as one person, then we ought to have a social safety net for failed small businesspersons. Hey the Germans do this.

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