| | Robert, (Eric, Jeremy)
Where are the capitalists, the Objectivist economists, the free-marketeers? Did I post this to the wrong forum?
"There is one fact about the movie I like very much. I am delighted that Mr. Gibson is going to make a bundle ... " This does not make Gibson heroic.
Of course not. I did not say it did. He is a symbolic hero because he pursued what he believed was right in the face of overwhelming opposition.
My reason for being jubilant about his financial success is totally different, and something all the so-called Objectivist Capitalists completely miss.
First I'll comment on what you said.
If anything, it shows that we have a sick culture still far too infused with mysticism and christianity, that such a project is related to en masse instead of on a minor cult following. True but irrelevant.
If someone made 500 million off a snuff film, you would condemn him, even if he expressed fortitude similar to Gibson's, say, demanding the abolition of even hollywood's standards of decency and going to the furthest extreme possible. Gibson's film has actually been called a "snuff film." I would be glad he made 500 million, whatever I thought of the film.
Dedication to moral principle is an absolute sin unless done in rational self interest. we must remember that in recent times there was a similarly extreme dedication to similar moral principles as those claimed by Gibson-- only, where he made a movie for his god, these fellows saw fit to blow up the WTC in the name of theirs. But the financial success of any product is in my self-interest. (Blowing up buildings and killing people must not be compared to producing a product people willing spend their money for. This is a great confusion.)
Finally, Let's make our principles consistent. either the customer is always right, in which case this logic supports postmodern art as being worth substantial sums of money also, or the customer's opinion is irrelevant. The customer is always right. ALWAYS!
That is what a free market means. A free market is not a way of guaranteeing everyone will always make wise choices, or that the objectively best product will always win, or that those who promote trash and pander to people's ignorance and weakness will never become rich. The free market means, whatever people freely choose to spend their money on, wins; but, that also means, anyone is free to produce whatever they choose and attempt to market it, including what is of real objective value. If a society is so decadent there is no market at all for what is of real value, no amount of market fiddling will save such a society anyway.
Now here is what all you Objectivists are missing. The value of your money is determined by two things 1. the amount of money there is, and 2. the amount of goods there are competing for that money. Since we live in the age of fiat money, our money is always losing value, because the governments, our own and those of the world, are always increasing the money supply.
The only thing that keeps our money from becoming worthless is the fact that so many are producing so much that people want to spend their money on. It does not matter a particle if the products are objectively good or objectively worthless, when someone spends there money for any product, that is so much less that can be spent for products of real objective value.
The point is that every time some fool spends his money on something worthless, or worse, something degrading and self-destructive, it increases the value of your money. If it weren't for McDonald's, Burger King, and all the other fast-foot businesses, the $15.00 steak you enjoy at a better restaurant would cost you $50.00. Every time you enjoy listening to classical music, say a silent thank-you to all those "artists" and recording studios producing the trash you despise for providing a sink-hole for all that money the ignorant spend on it that would otherwise be competing for the music you enjoy, but would not be able to afford.
Regi
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