In many of today’s popular media, such as films, TV, and literature, capitalism is often maligned. Capitalists, particularly entrepreneurs, are often portrayed as inherently morally compromised and self-aggrandizing scumbags who don’t care about anyone else but themselves.
This negative stereotype is reinforced through numerous movies such as “American Psycho (2000)” and far-left filmmaker Michael Moore’s 2009 documentary “Capitalism: A Love Story.” And who can ever forget Michael Douglas’s performance as Gordon Gekko in 1987’s “Wall Street,” and his crazy “greed is good” speech?
However, this negative sentiment isn’t just coming from Hollywood and the fringe left (which ironically utilizes capitalism at every turn)—even Adam Smith, the 18th-century philosopher, and political economist who is considered the father of capitalism wasn’t too fond of entrepreneurs.
Fortunately, this documentary sports some high production values and is not only skillfully shot, but contains some highly fascinating interviews with numerous business experts, as well as informative commentary by the co-founder of The Acton Institute, Roman Catholic Priest (and former Pentecostal minister) Robert Sirico. In a sea of hostile views toward capitalism and entrepreneurship, this documentary highlights and honors the ingenuity, creativity, productive virtues, and bravery of entrepreneurs all over the world.
The film’s first stop is in the small rural town of Evart, Michigan. There, dairy farmer Brad Morgan has faced numerous challenges (many from the government) over the years, just as most farmers across America do. While Morgan may not have much in the way of a formal education, his innate “think-outside-the-box” creativity and steadfastness (he describes himself as “stubborn”), enabled him to develop something he thought was worthless—into a valuable commodity.
Morgan discovered that he could turn his cow’s manure into compost that could be brought to market. Since he didn’t know that much about the actual science of manure composting, he hired people who had expertise in that area and eventually built up a huge composting business that is sought after not only by a wide range of clients but also by prospective business partners.
Another fascinating story is that of Hong Kong activist and entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, the founder of media giant Next Digital. Lai shares his tale of growing up in abject poverty in Guangzhou, China, firmly under the iron fist of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Although Lai’s family was originally wealthy, under the brutal rule of Mao Zedong, the communists seized his family’s land (as they have always done throughout history) and forced his mother to go to work in the labor/slave camps.
Desperate to survive, Lai went to work as a baggage handler at a train station in Guangzhou. There, he was exposed to all sorts of different people from outside of the communist regime. This led to him realizing that all of the information that was continuously disseminated to the Chinese people about outsiders was patently false.
Lai eventually made the calculated decision to move to Hong Kong, where the rule of law still existed and entrepreneurship flourished in comparison to mainland China under the communists. He went on to found both Next Digital and global retailer Giordano International. Unfortunately, Lai has since been jailed numerous times for his outspoken criticism of the CCP.
This documentary contradicts the absurd notion that capitalism is a zero-sum game and that all entrepreneurs are self-serving individuals with little regard for others. It begs several questions—if capitalism is such a horrendous, zero-sum game, then why is it the first system to exist whereby anyone from the lower classes can drastically improve their financial circumstances? And how about all of the folks that entrepreneurs help? After all, entrepreneurs not only hire people to work for and with them, but they also provide numerous goods and services for the public’s various wants and needs.
As the inspiring aforementioned stories illustrate, entrepreneurs typically see something that others didn’t—a need that they risked their own financial well-being to facilitate for others. And that’s very virtuous, any way you slice it.
And as far as the tired old argument that capitalism creates lots of poverty—compared to what? The destitute masses under Soviet, North Korean, North Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Chinese communist rule? What about all of the death, poverty, and homelessness that have enveloped every single country that has embraced communism? North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, and the list goes on and on and on.
