Money is like a good idea
Money is like a good idea, it needs to be spread around to do any good.

Now before you flame me with "you stinkin' commie" or some re-distribution of wealth scheme, please understand that I'm a true believer in Adam Smith and the "invisible hand".

It rarely does anyone any good to collect dollars and sit on them. The benefit of money comes from the distribution of that money into either investment vehicles, or the borrowing of credit. So, you gain $5, you buy some extra bread, the grocer buys a little extra from the supplier, supplier buys more from the baker, and so on. That extra $5 benefited more than the original owner because he spent the money and distributed the wealth. If the original owner had taken the $5 and stuck it under his mattress, it wouldn't have done anyone any good.

"Well, duh!" you say. My response, "No kidding"

I bring this up because it still surprises me how often you will still here folks on left talk about wealth as an evil. Take a look at the oil companies (yes, big oil is an easy target) yet the left is ready to tar and feather the oil execs for making a profit. Business's role is to make a profit because the profits are then.......(wait for the punchline).........re-invested and re-distributed in and throughout the company. Wealth begetting additional wealth, if done correctly. Companies have no reason to sit on piles of cash, and the money is better served to buy better equipment, hire employees, improve benefits, build new facilities, pay down debt, etc.

Yet, I still think there is a large segment of our society who doesn't understand this concept of basic business. There is still some old mythology (was it formed in the gilded age with the Robber Barons?) that rich companies are essentially individual and these behemoth individuals sit around all day lighting their cigars with $100 bills while trying to figure out how to squash little people.
- posted by Simmering @ 5:45 PM