Profit motive can be an agent of change
The recent Fox TV ouster of Bill O’Reilly (“Fox News parts with O’Reilly over scandal,” News, April 20) highlights a fundamental conflict between morals and markets. Given the market importance of women, the sex-harassment allegations made Fox TV unsuitable for advertising. Over 50 advertisers withdrew, with potential loss of millions of dollars. Thus, market-math was critical to Fox’s decision; moral qualms are usually secondary in such matters.
Market forces are meant to be neutral about morals and ethics. If such considerations were paramount, Fox should have terminated O’Reilly years ago, considering his frequent expressions of racism and bigotry (“violent,” depraved black subculture, “Trayvon Martin died because of his hoodie,” “slaves were well fed/lodged,” “KKK also did community work,” etc.). He even sympathized with white supremacists. Such comments provoked outrage among many, but none of that mattered until now.
Yet, morals-ethics aside, O’Reilly’s ouster is a reminder that the market-math (profit motive) can be an agent of change — and this can lead to some progress and to mind-boggling hypocrisy.
S.M. GHAZANFAR, ACWORTH
Pope’s words speak to power of humility
Pope Francis recently gave a powerful “Ted Talk” about how our future depends on building honest relationships with others through humility. Our leaders in Washington should heed the Pope’s eloquent words: “Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude, it is the path of solidarity, the path of humility. The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.”
BRIAN DINAPOLI, DECATUR
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