Forbes Magazine ranked Joaquin Guzman Loera, Mexican crime king pin, and now twice escaped prisoner, on its list of self made billionaires for four years running. On the one hand it was simply meant as a list of rich people without regard to how they made their fortunes. And when people objected they discovered reasons to not include him on the list. However, I have an abiding feeling the initial impulse of the good folk at Forbes was that in some deeper sense business is business. (I wish, but don’t believe, they were simply being ironic…) On another hand I find myself thinking a lot of late about of that line generally attributed, although not with complete accuracy to Honore de Balzac, “Behind every great fortune there is a great crime.” I have trouble missing the reality that while Capitalism no doubt brings benefits, “El Chapo” shows where capitalism, pure, uncontrolled, unregulated laissez faire will inevitably go like night follows day…
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In