The Capitalist Investor - Episode 1 It’s interesting to hear the debates — Capitalism VS Socialism. From all the noise going on during this election year (2020) you’d think that Capitalists are the devil himself. But those are characterizations designed to push a Socialist agenda — one that doesn’t work anywhere in the world, by the way (and we’ll talk about that a bit on this episode).This inaugural episode of The Capitalist Investor outlines the kind of topics we’ll be discussing and why we think they are important issues to understand. If you’re curious where we’re going with this podcast, you’ll have no doubt by the time you finish listening to this episode.Outline of This Episode[0:29] This show is about two things: Capitalism and Investing – and how we got here[3:36] Why it’s important for us to talk about what drives our economy[5:36] Things you can expect to learn listening to this podcast[10:45] Kobe Bryant epitomized the spirit behind Capitalism[13:15] Issues that create the debate between Socialism and Capitalism[15:10] The ongoing conversation about income inequalityMy introduction to Capitalism came waiting tables in collegeWhen I (Mark) was going to college I had to work my way through. It was what I had to do to pay for college and eat at the same time. I know many who have done the same thing. I decided to serve as a waiter at a restaurant and that’s where I learned my first lessons about how Capitalism works. Here’s the principle…The harder you work, the more money you make. It’s that simple. My wife and I have had conversations about this fact and want to make sure our children learn the same hard lessons because they are the foundation of how Capitalism works and how success comes to anyone.Capitalism is about equality of opportunity. Socialism is about equality of outcomeIt was tragic to hear about the death of Kobe Bryant and the others who were on the airplane with him and his daughter when it went down (January 26,2020). Kobe was an icon in basketball not only because of the level of talent he possessed but also because of the leadership he demonstrated on and off the court. As the internet began to buzz with news of his death, his life, and his accomplishments, quotes of things he’d said began to pop up. I saw this one and loved it.“I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” ~ Kobe BryantTHAT is the spirit behind Capitalism. Hard work and perseverance pay off in time. Kobe knew it and it led him to become one of the all-time high scorers in the NBA. It doesn’t matter if you’re focused on a sporting career like Kobe or a business career as an entrepreneur or investor, Capitalism is the only system that provides the opportunity to accomplish your dreams.Income inequality is not an issue of unfairness, it’s an issue of lazinessOne of the topics that is getting under my skin lately is all the noise we’re hearing around “income inequality.” I get it. There truly is a huge gap between the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor. I wish the two could be closer together. But the answer is not to redistribute wealth forcibly through a government system or program. It’s to refocus our society on personal responsibility and opportunity.There are two main complaints I hear by those who are near the bottom of the pay scale in this country. The first is that they don’t make enough money to get ahead. When I ask these people how many hours per week they work, they typically tell me, “Full-time, 40 hours a week.” In my mind, that’s the minimum. The beauty of the Capitalist system is that if you want to work more hours, you can. You always have the opportunity to make more money to get ahead.The other argument I hear is that the hourly wage these people are receiving is not high enough. But the same principle applies. You have a choice. If you’re not getting paid enough, you can choose to move to another employer where the wage is higher. Or you can rally your fellow employees to go on strike until the wage is raised. Capitalism makes both of those things possible.What to expect in a society where the government makes income equalSocialism, on the other hand, is aimed at giving everyone the same financial resources. It sounds good at first, even fair. But think about what would happen in your mind if you knew when you woke up today that you wouldn’t lose, but you also wouldn’t win. You’d lose your motivation, your work ethic would diminish, and you’d have no reason to go over and above on anything you do. That degrades us as human beings.Another thing that happens in Socialist countries is that a black market arises — which is Capitalistic. Think about it: you schedule a plumber to come to your home for an emergency, but because every plumber gets paid the same due to government policy, none of them work overtime or make concessions for the sake of customer needs. So you can’t get a plumber to come to your house for a month. That’s where the black market pops up — you agree to pay the plumber under the table to come out immediately, and he will. That’s Capitalism, and it exists because it works for everyone.Listen to this introductory episode to get a taste of the kind of discussions we’ll be having and to hear more about why Capitalism is the economic system that works for everyone.Resources & People MentionedKobe BryantTV Show: Pawn StarsSteve JobsSteve WozniacConnect with Derek GabrielsenTwitter: @DerekGabrielsenFollow Derek on LinkedInSend Derek a message hereConnect With Mark TepperTwitter: @MarkTepperSWPFollow Mark on LinkedInSend Mark a message hereSend your questions and comments to us at info (at) SWPConnect.comSubscribe to The Capitalist InvestorShow Notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com
