Making a Profit

There is a frightening movement that has existed since man first bartered. The movement views profit (or “greed”) as evil. Self-interest is seen as wrong. The root of the movement is that “greedy” people are evil, that they don’t care about the poor. Because we do.

My family owns a business, and we have dozens of similar friends. We donate to the poor constantly. We donate out of love. Not because the man with the badge has a gun to our heads, but because we are moral. I hate to be over dramatic, but the idea of capitalists seeking profit so they don’t care about the poor is simply dehumanizing. Desiring the comforts of life and hence working to achieve those comforts doesn’t mean we are evil. Wanting to have success doesn’t mean a disdain for others.

The average employee at Wal-Mart works hard for the cash that s/he makes. I know I do. It’s not wrong that s/he works for money so s/he can buy things that most in the world would consider frivolous. There should be no shame in achievement. The reason for this is found in the root of the desire for profit.

The root of a desire for profit is not the desire to destroy or harm — profit is based on achievement, not destruction. A desire for profit is based on a desire to better oneself — to achieve wealth and enjoyment. To create. But not just to create — to create through peace and not coercion or force. Creation through peace.

Unfortunately, millions are confused regarding how capitalism relates to government. They believe that it is capitalism when a corporation is subsidized by government, or when the government uses laws and restrictions to support big business. This couldn’t be further from the truth. This is not capitalism, but fascism. Capitalism is a system of voluntary exchange. It’s a system of economics based on trade. When a business wishes to profit in a capitalist economy, it does not resort to government, but ads and exchange.

Capitalist profit is based upon trade — transaction — peaceful agreement. In a capitalist system, it is never based upon coercion. The economic system of capitalism knows no coercion. Capitalism, by definition, is a system where all financial decisions are based upon mutual consent. Capitalism is the economic system of peace.

Business owners who achieve a profit do so, not at the sake of others — but for the betterment of all. Their reasoning is unashamedly selfish, of course. But economically, their profit benefits others. For an explanation, see the section “Wealth and Poverty“.

There have recently been interesting buzz phrases used regarding profit. Members of the media, random people on the street — people in general — often refer to the profits that oil companies make as “extra” or “unnecessary” profit. The idea is that the oil companies are evil, because they want to make more than absolutely necessary.

This, it is assumed, is obviously evil, because the oil companies are profiting at the expense of others. Profit is evil, it is then concluded or implied. This is wrong. Dead wrong. When you desire a food that goes beyond the basic necessity, you desire “excessive profit”. When you want clothes that look nice rather than just cover your body and provide shelter, you desire “excessive profit”. When an employee wants a raise because he thinks he is “worth more”, even if he isn’t starving, he wants “excessive profit”.

When a father wishes to see his children provided with items beyond the basics needed for human sustenance, when he wishes to see them have nice things, when he wishes to see them have a computer or TV — he desires “excessive profit”.

To suppose that these people are evil because they wish to maximize their profit is absurd. Especially considering the only way they can, in a capitalist economy, maximize their profit is through efficiency and voluntary trade.

Rather than being “evil”, those who wish to make a profit are acting in a moral manner. They wish to create material achievements for themselves and their family. This is not evil — this is good. “Excessive profit” is wrong — it represents the achievement of one’s values. It is good on the most fundamental level.