PROFIT MOTIVE BRINGS BETTER RESULTS THAN “PUBLIC SERVICE"

PROFIT MOTIVE BRINGS BETTER RESULTS THAN “PUBLIC SERVICE"
Posted by: Michael Medved at 2:43 PM

The publicity tour for my new book THE 5 BIG LIES ABOUT AMERICAN BUSINESS provides a powerful illustration of one of its themes. Flying cross country to New York, the air transit system worked perfectly—my planes in both directions actually arrived early. But driving to a book signing in Long Island, the jammed traffic made us frustrated and late.

The highways are entirely a government responsibility—federal, state and local—and operated with no expectation of profit. But airlines, even though heavily regulated, are for-profit corporations. This contrast connects to “Big Lie Number Five” in my book: the common idea that government is more trustworthy, more compassionate than business. In every arena, the desire to make a profit by pleasing the public makes for more efficiency and better treatment than does the “public service” of government bureaucrats.