The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

370 THE FREEMAN Junethe lay mind the essential processesof business. Such new style "candidcamera" shots which give glimpsesbehind the scenes in the businessworld will help to promote friendlycooperation among government, businessand labor. It can make crystalclear that the unwarranted snipingat business is directed at the vital interestsof millions of life insurancepolicy holders, owners of savings accounts,... and of tens of millions ofindividual owners of shares of Americancorporations.These comments made thirtyfouryears ago are a reminder thatbusiness baiting is not a newphenomenon in 1972. Only the rhetorichas changed.In the intervening years, greatstrides have been made in humanizingcorporate reports, and todaysome alert companies, such asStandard Oil (N.J.), U.S. Steeland others, have used TV commercialscreatively to depict the socialusefulness of their enterprises.James M. Roche, who recently retiredas chief executive of GeneralMotors, has in recent monthstaken leadership in urging greaterattention to the attacks on thepremises on which free enterpriserests.The Brave New WorldBasic in this approach is objectiveunderstanding of the significance-of the revolt of somearticulate young people. Sincethey will in due course inherit theearth, their views, including theirmisconceptions, should not be ignored.Noone questions the rightto dissent, but it is important alsoto develop a sense of responsibilityin discussing matters relatingto the well-being of the people.Certainly, the "brave new world"won't be ushered in by escapists.Youths who indiscriminately rejectthe mature as hypocrites havelittle insight into the history ofman. In downgrading their parentsas insincere because theirconduct doesn't always squarewith their professed code ofethics, the young tend to overlookthat through the ages man hasbeen caught in the conflict betweenhis animal instincts and his standardsof civilized procedure. Itwould, of course, be millenary ifeveryone invariably lived up to hiscode; but the remedy for humanfrailty certainly is not the rejectionof standards.Much of the venom against theEstablishment springs from anemotional distaste for the competitivesystem, which calls upon individualsto stand up and be mea­Slued. Much loose talk glorifyingthe "underprivileged" and the"disadvantaged" is really quarrelingwith the Lord for creatingman with an infinite variety ofdifferences in aptitude, skill, moti-