GREED IS GOOD!
Gordon Gekko! The master manipulator of Oliver Stone's film Wall Street. Forbes magazine named him the 14th richest fictional character.(1) The poster child for Milton Friedmans's Free Market Economy. He uttered those words 23 years ago at fictional company Teldar's meeting to best describe how to save their business as well as the economy of the United States. Even though Gekko was based on a real life stock trader Ivan Boesky convicted for insider trading, set the tone of the way things are occurring today.
Milton Friedman beliefs of Free Market Economy in which marketplace can take care of it self and the government to not interfere is one of the keys to seeing this thrive. The business practices of Wall Street Investment firms are not only affecting US Economy but the World Market, too. French President Nicholas Sarkozy spoke at the World Economic Forum stating it was time to restrain all free market spending because it's only concern for the means and not the ends. (2) Natural disasters that hit New Orleans, Haiti and now Chile is are a terrible tragedy for everyone but it is a "perfect" situation for the followers of Milton Friedman to exploit with privateering of public functions. The irony of what has happened in Chile is Friedman's economist students from the University of Chicago aka "Chicago Boys" actually helped the former dictator Pinochet to rule his country. (3)
The article Gekko & Greed- Friedman & Freedom (4), show a correlation between the two and how things have not changed. It's funny because after all that has been happening, the man who first believed this would come to a fruition is now back! Gordon Gekko is now large and charge in the 21st Century! Oliver Stone revived the character in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, to return to the scene, survey how the economy has been wrecked and also how he can get a slice of the pie! This film is made for entertainment value and escapism but in 2010 is it?
(1) http://www.forbes.com/2002/09/13/400fictional_15.html
(2) http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/27/business/main6147148.shtml
(3) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitext/int_miltonfriedman.html#10
(4) http://investingcaffeine.com/2010/02/28/gekko-greed-–-friedman-freedom/
