Is "greed" necessary for economic growth and prosperity?
I have long believed in equality and fairness - so any policies that hint of discrimination and protection of privilege raises my hackles. What muddies the waters for me -in discussions about the subject - is that I often hear arguments spouting the benefits of capitalism - "survival of the fittest , handouts promote laziness " blah blah - from the mouths of people born into privileged classes and inherited wealth. The messengers are polluting the message for me. On the other hand -as an engineer - facts do matter to me. The collapse of the wellbeing of peoples under "socialism" in various countries like Cuba, Venezuela , the old Soviet Union is undeniable. This has got me re-examining the underlying assumptions and drivers of economic well being. It has raised the following questions in my mind: Does "equality of opportunity" really drive economic growth and prosperity? If not - then are the policies proposed by the Democrats and egalit