Unpredictable. Unfocused. Just like life.

I'm halfway through reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand so this post by Kathy Shaidle was unusually timely:

"People seem to believe that, if you've been successful and made a lot of money, you're somehow obliged to give back by making donations to this or that cause, program or people. Giving back is not only a nonsensical idea but a dangerous one, as well. It reflects ignorance about the sources of income and at the same time provides fuel for demagogues and charlatans (...)

"In our society, there are people who should give back. These are the thieves and social parasites who live forcibly at the expense of others. They prey on their fellow man. Some do it privately through theft, fraud and robbery. Others use the political mechanism whereby Congress enriches them at the expense of others. If giving back means anything, it should apply to thieves and social parasites, not those who became wealthy by serving us."

She even quotes Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations:

"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest."

As Kathy suggests, the idea of "fair prices" is meaningless. The only fair thing is to trade value for value.

David Miller's quote is especially interesting:

...despite being a successful and savvy businessman, his motives were always about more than the bottom line. His philosophy was to keep prices reasonable so everyone could afford to shop at his store.

Ensuring that everyone can shop at your store is all about the bottom line. The more people shop there the more money you make.

What I want to know is, if Ed Mirvish's fair prices make him a hero, then why do Wal-Mart's low prices, and the fact that it forces the competition to lower their prices make it evil?