The raison d’être of business is to make money. Over the past 25 – 30 years the mantra rose to a crescendo. Everyone joined the choir: blue-collar Reagan Republicans, politicians, certainly the grassroots of the [Republican] party, even academia. In this instant gratification world, profits were king.

Wha happen?

Get rich quick schemes, favored by Wall Street, were sold to the public, as patriotic as microwaveable apple pie. Of course they crumbled. The tail (financiers and hedge traders) wagged the dog (corporate boardrooms). This was done in the name of “liquidity.” But note that get rich quick schemes are the favorite tool of con men. They are inherently unstable. So “too big to fail” is what happens when Brobdingnagian business meets instant trading.

The watchdog role of government was cuckolded by anti-government rhetoric and political campaign contributions.

Here’s a blog by Michael Reardon. His idea is to establish the “George Bailey” award. It would be given annually to deserving business persons who best exemplify the spirit of Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Many dislike the politics of Frank Capra. But even the most hardened cynics get teary-eyed if forced to sit and watch this fabulous piece of storytelling. Admit it, the film is a tidy counter balance to the “me, me, me society” of the 2000’s.

Read Mike Reardon’s blog at:

http://comment.rsablogs.org.uk/2011/12/05/lets-move-tobedford-falls/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RSAcomment+%28RSA+Comment%29