Free enterprise and thereby freedom itself is under attack from within, in the United States today. The newspapers and 24 hour cable news reports are filled with liberal attacks on business in general and on the free enterprise system of capitalism in particular.
Politicians in Washington D.C., who are mostly corrupt and power-hungry themselves, are busy demonizing Wall Street investment houses, banks, mortgage, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, the oil industry, transportation companies, doctors, hospitals and just about any other industry or business that is earning a profit. Barrack Obama recently said “Now is not the time for profits.” REALLY?? Why not? Is it a time for more losses? What, other than profits, fuels growth that is required to expand employment? The answer is nothing else!
Populist, anti-business rhetoric may sound good at first, but beware! Business and the free enterprise system itself are the engines of prosperity for our country in general and for all of us individually. Without profitable businesses, which require a free enterprise environment to flourish, we will be doomed to a declining standard of living for all, and to a growing dependence on government.
With respect to certain individuals or groups of people in business, it is true that sometimes people conduct business in corrupt or unethical manners. Any good system is subject to being misused by ungodly people, but that does not mean the system itself is evil or corrupt. Business is God’s system of wealth creation, and it is a good and honorable system, and it is most effective when operating in a free enterprise environment where customers, suppliers and the light of day expose the darkness and where market influences drive out evil.
The solution to unethical business practices is NOT more regulation, restrictions, laws and rules to follow. The law kills but the spirit gives life. It is a wholly false assumption that a small group of politicians in the White House, the U.S. Capitol, or in the State Houses will be fundamentally more honest or less corrupt than millions of business managers being policed by customers, suppliers and employees. Politicians, along with more regulation, will only raise the ultimate cost to consumers and concentrate power in the hands of even more corrupt politicians.
Free enterprise and freedom is the only productive answer. Godly men and women assuming positions of power and authority in business (and politics) is the way to make freedom work. That’s why Jesus came to set us free from the law – so we could be led by the Spirit – even in business. More law is not the solution, more liberation is.
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