The New York Times Tries To Understand Libertarians
And fails.
In a piece about “corporate social responsibility” the New York Times interviewed someone from the Competitive Enterprise Institute and came away with this unique undertanding of libertarianism:
OVER 35 years ago, the economist Milton Friedman wrote a famous article for The New York Times Magazine entitled, “The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase its Profits.” It’s not hard to find critics of corporate social responsibility who still take that hard-line view.
“C.S.R. is a misguided attempt by a subcategory of business managers to deal with the crisis of corporate legitimacy,” said Isaac Post of the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Russell Roberts, an economist at George Mason University, said: “Doesn’t it make more sense to have companies do what they do best, make good products at fair prices, and then let consumers use the savings for the charity of their choice?” Their essential point is that companies are simply not equipped to “save the world” — nor is it their mission. That’s what governments are supposed to do.
Nice try Old Grey Lady, but I don’t think so.
H/T: Hit & Run
