What is the place of altruism in todays Western world?
Altruism is practiced in a sense when we pay taxes even though we may not personally benefit from the services said taxes provide. We are practicing altruism when we do anything, perhaps recycling, that may inconvenience us but benefits the common good. This is why we need to keep big business and the people who run them out of government. A properly run business has one goal, to maximize shareholder value. Altruism has no place in that formula. People who think like business people, such as the recently deceased Robert McNamara, are attuned to taking advantage rather than helping. If you doubt this, read, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man”.
