X-Message-Number: 32990 Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:57:46 -0700 Subject: response to gerald monroe From: Charles in Arizona <> It was the honorable desire to save lives, even of people who couldn't afford the true costs, that created the current situation. Your answer appears to be: Do even more of the same. In an argument between someone who is "compassionate" (i.e. advocating the expenditure of other people's money) and someone who is fiscally responsible, the "compassionate" person naturally seems more appealing. In the long term, however, I believe companies fare better if they are run on a responsible basis; and a strong company is much more useful, in the world, than one that becomes crippled by its own "generosity." As for your description of billionaires as being "irrational," this is an attitude which is not going to get you very far. People with a lot of money are, in my experience, highly sensitive to the desire of other people to spend some of that money. The first step in signing up wealthy people is to respect their right to keep their money for themselves. Charles Platt Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=32990