Men of Wealth (1944) - Ludwig von Mises Institute

140 MEN OF WEALTH
of the maker for integrity. Therefore, it is important to erect the
manufacturer of things—drugs, foods, stocks, and ideas—into a
being of purity and intelligence. Half the job of selling a bottle of
ineffectual jalap for rheumatism is done if the great Mr. Bunkus,
its maker, miracle man of the drug world, jalap king, great philanthropist,
eloquent speaker at commercial banquets, doctor of law
and of humane letters at Yale and Harvard, is behind the product.
It is easy to sell the voters a bill of goods embracing the "abolition
of poverty" or "the abundant life" if some "great" engineer or the
great radio crooner is behind these respective emulsions. Throughout
history we shall see that the great rulers, dictators, oil kings,
steel kings, and money kings have employed the techniques of shirt
stuffing to build themselves up to the proportions of heroes of one
sort or another in the common mind. Once a man has made a million
dollars, it is promptly assumed that because he knew how to make
a million he knows also how to run a college, a church, a government.
Presence on the board of the college, the vestry, or the cabinet of
the government gave to the businessman a character that aided him
in getting what he called "consumer acceptance" for his products.
It has been easy to convince people affected with an abiding appetite
for wealth that the man who has succeeded in accumulating it is
capable of ruling them. Hence the rich man has tended to move into
all the places of power—to dominate our education, to mold our
theology, to form our culture, to modify our social thinking.
A definite technique has been perfected for creating any kind of
character out of almost any man with enough money to hire the
professional help. His name and picture are repeated over and over
in the press until he becomes a member of our performing celebrities,
his benefactions artfully and opportunely contrived and announced,
with pictures, encomiums, editorials heralding his public
spirit. Articles about him appear in the success magazines. Men are
hired to write speeches for him to deliver at conventions, banquets,
public gatherings, at colleges, and over the radio. He issues statements
upon all sorts of subjects, has opinions about everything, all
worked up and happily phrased for him by his hired shirt stuffers. It