print“If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? … And if not now, when?” said Rabbi Hillel the Elder.
At last a fabulously rich, self-made man has awoken to the fact that it’s time to fight for his life’s work; stand up for his achievements, take pride in his intelligence and graft. Quit pretending an agitator from Chicago, who has lived off the public teat for his entire life, is better than a billionaire who has built a business from scratch. Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman has “made public his letter to the President.” Read it on Gerri Willis’ Fox Business blog.
I like the part where he shows president ponce what real work means, although I am sick of the give-back fallacy or the pleas about divisiveness. That the president is divisive is secondary to the fact that he’s an ass with ears, ignorant of economics and oblivious to rights.
To the letter (I think Cooperman is far more eloquent than Peggy Noonan, Court Courtesan to Bush, whom Cooperman praises):
Just to be clear, while I have been richly rewarded by a life of hard work (and a great deal of luck), I was not to-the-manor-born. My father was a plumber who practiced his trade in the South Bronx after he and my mother emigrated from Poland. I was the first member of my family to earn a college degree. I benefited from both a good public education system (P.S. 75, Morris High School and Hunter College, all in the Bronx) and my parents’ constant prodding. When I joined Goldman Sachs following graduation from Columbia University’s business school, I had no money in the bank, a negative net worth, a National Defense Education Act student loan to repay, and a six-month-old child (not to mention his mother, my wife of now 47 years) to support. I had a successful, near-25-year run at Goldman, which I left 20 years ago to start a private investment firm. As a result of my good fortune, I have been able to give away to those less blessed far more than I have spent on myself and my family over a lifetime, and last year I subscribed to Warren Buffet’s Giving Pledge to ensure that my money, properly stewarded, continues to do some good after I’m gone.
My story is anything but unique. I know many people who are similarly situated, by both humble family history and hard-won accomplishment, whose greatest joy in life is to use their resources to sustain their communities. Some have achieved a level of wealth where philanthropy is no longer a by-product of their work but its primary impetus. This is as it should be. We feel privileged to be in a position to give back, and we do. My parents would have expected nothing less of me.
I am not, by training or disposition, a policy wonk, polemicist or pamphleteer. I confess admiration for those who, with greater clarity of expression and command of the relevant statistical details, make these same points with more eloquence and authoritativeness than I can hope to muster. For recent examples, I would point you to “Hunting the Rich” (Leaders, The Economist, September 24, 2011), “The Divider vs. the Thinker” (Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2011), “Wall Street Occupiers Misdirect Anger” (Christine Todd Whitman, Bloomberg, October 31, 2011), and “Beyond Occupy” (Bill Keller, The New York Times, October 31, 2011) – all, if you haven’t read them, making estimable work of the subject. …
Corrected
A classy, eloquent, richly deserved and long overdue public spanking. Verbal paddlings should be repeated widely and often in the public square from the plentiful ranks of his betters until the spoiled and spoiling behavior ends or the offending brat is given a permanent time out away from any political office.
Shame on you, Barry. Your graceless behavior is an embarrassment to yourself and your country and shockingly beneath the office to which you aspire.
Great. Really enjoyed seeing an example set by a real mensch.
I am sorry, but I no more expect President Obama to change his thinking and actions than I would Stalin or Mandela. Does anyone think the POTUS has ever read CAPITALISM: THE UNKNOWN IDEAL or ATLAS SHRUGGED? Who are his Economic mentors? Political system mentors?
Most, if not all, of the wealthy people I have known did not start with wealth. They worked hard for it…and were proud of how hard they had to work.
To Mr. Cooperman, Gerri Willis, and all candidates for the upcoming POTUS elections, WHO IS JOHN GALT?
Think the economy and jobs are the only problems?
http://jewishworldreview.com/1211/napolitano.php3
Where does your Congressional Rep and your Senators stand on this situation? Whatever happened to POSSE COMITATUS?
http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/articles/Trebilcock.htm
I am of the opinion that the whole picture of the state of affairs in the U.S. is not being presented BECAUSE THE COUP D’ETAT is in place and those who oppose the Coup will be punished. GET THE BANANAS READY.
A Capitalist parasite lectures a Socialist parasite. What a waste of cyberspace.
A well written letter even if the guy is from the Bronx (pffffft!).
Yeah – our first “black President” – Messiah Obama talked lofty teleprompter blather about overcoming the hyperpartisan crap of the last 20 years only to descend into worse demagoguery.
My only question is – does anyone take Obama-blather seriously at all? I understand that those on the left will back him over the evil Newt – but it seems that all their “idealism” of 2008 has completely disappeared. It is almost shocking that Republicans still believe THEIR own partisan manure which blames “big government” solely on the (eeek eeek) Democrats. In fairness to Obama, his class-demagoguery is not much different than (McCain’s hero) Republican Teddy Roosevelt’s denunciation of “malefactors of great wealth”
http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2010/04/theodore-roosevelt-malefactors-of-great-wealth.html
Ilana – I think I would like to write a “guest column” on the relationship between Gunpoint Marxist Altruism (mega-evil) and Voluntary Charity (admirable when voluntary). The question of Wolf Blitzer to Ron Paul …. something like …”Wouldn’t all the poor/sick people DIE if not for government” (and he said NO)…. should be confronted as it is the “raison d’etre” for “Progressive” Taxation for the Welfare State.
“A Capitalist parasite lectures a Socialist parasite. What a waste of cyberspace. Trilby! Under the name “Compassionate Fascist” you are both, why should you call it a waste of cyberspace? Of course in my case, I can’t call a Capitalist a parasite, since a capitalist exchanges a service for a price and if a person doesn’t want the service they don’t contract for it. I think once you said you drove a cab, that’s providing a service, and how many people have you parasited? My son is a cab driver, he doesn’t consider himself a parasite, just the opposite, he wishes for more customers. Wake up will you.
[I was sure I had not posted Trilby’s trip. But I was destructed again. Thanks for responding.]
I don’t have to agree with everything a man does nor even expect his good behavior to ultimately do much good in order to be invigorated by a display of some righteousness. I get plenty of experience each day looking at imperfect men beginning each morning while shaving.
I’m not deluded. It hasn’t passed my notice that all my heroes including Seneca, Jefferson, Edison, and Jobs while accomplishing much more than me, had their share of flaws. I hope I never fail to respond to greatness.
I’ve noticed that many great men talk about their heroes. Sometimes they use the word mentor. While I fall depressing short of their public standard, I can still notice and try to copy good behavior.
Our host isn’t deluded either. I think I got at least part of her intent here.