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Is it true that the invisible hand always results in every business being altruistic? No. it is true that most will be. Are businesses ever bad? Yes, and that is the purpose of government - to stop people from harming others. If you had merely described a business that was not as good as it could be you would have a stronger point. But as soon as you described a business that actually harmed people you would be prosecuted under the law. The invisible hand describes large market forces but does not say that there is no government to enforce justice and protect the innocent.Now lets pretend that there is no government: Your business continuing is quite a fantastical scenario but in a free market it could rarely and not for long take place. Only with the coercion of the state could such a factory continue for long before the workers did leave (out of self interest they chose lower pay over working around mercury), and the buyers did stop buying ( they didn't like the melamine in their toothpaste) , and the protesters did have effect (even if they only protested to get donations), and yes even the rioters who sabotaged the plant (even if they only did it to steal your truck tires). Your partners don't like the way you do business and you are forced to buy them out (even if the only reason they didn't like the way you did business was because it made their wives feel icky). Then your investors decide that they can turn just as much profit at another company that is not evil. Since you have to live somewhat near it is not long before your own daughter gets sick and you have to rethink things. You go to church or a civil organization and hear messages that lead you to be more interested in the benefits to community (even if you only do it to avoid hell). Your conscience that your mother instilled in you (because she wanted the neighbors to think she was a good mom) or that God placed in your heart convicts you to change. Oh, I forgot that the other nation got tired of getting your crap so they first placed tariffs on your good then went to war with your country. Which got your countrymen pretty mad and they burned you place to the ground before the bombs did.And all these players were operating on self interest.For your scenario to work many things need to be true. For my counter balancing factors to work only a few of them, often only one, need to be true.
Is it true that the invisible hand always results in every business being altruistic? No. it is true that most will be. Are businesses ever bad? Yes, and that is the purpose of government - to stop people from harming others. If you had merely described a business that was not as good as it could be you would have a stronger point. But as soon as you described a business that actually harmed people you would be prosecuted under the law. The invisible hand describes large market forces but does not say that there is no government to enforce justice and protect the innocent.
Now lets pretend that there is no government: Your business continuing is quite a fantastical scenario but in a free market it could rarely and not for long take place. Only with the coercion of the state could such a factory continue for long before the workers did leave (out of self interest they chose lower pay over working around mercury), and the buyers did stop buying ( they didn't like the melamine in their toothpaste) , and the protesters did have effect (even if they only protested to get donations), and yes even the rioters who sabotaged the plant (even if they only did it to steal your truck tires). Your partners don't like the way you do business and you are forced to buy them out (even if the only reason they didn't like the way you did business was because it made their wives feel icky). Then your investors decide that they can turn just as much profit at another company that is not evil. Since you have to live somewhat near it is not long before your own daughter gets sick and you have to rethink things. You go to church or a civil organization and hear messages that lead you to be more interested in the benefits to community (even if you only do it to avoid hell). Your conscience that your mother instilled in you (because she wanted the neighbors to think she was a good mom) or that God placed in your heart convicts you to change. Oh, I forgot that the other nation got tired of getting your crap so they first placed tariffs on your good then went to war with your country. Which got your countrymen pretty mad and they burned you place to the ground before the bombs did.
And all these players were operating on self interest.
For your scenario to work many things need to be true. For my counter balancing factors to work only a few of them, often only one, need to be true.