Miscellaneous Respones:
1. With what specifically did you disagree in my article?
2. I have extreme doubts that millions of people are as talented as McCartney, Swift and Rowling. These three and others like them are not lucky although it may appear to be that they are. Their success is the result of a combination of things, not the least of which is their highly unique talent - but NOT the talent alone. Also, what often appears as luck is nothing more than the result of intense desire and hard work. I have experienced this on countless occasions.
3. Two questions about copyrights: How are these government intrusions into the market? (not disagreeing but have never thought about it. I am totally opposed to government market intrusions other than regulations that have a rational basis) And, how do copyrights impact others? Again, I have not really thought about this. I have written one book and the material is copyrighted as I do not want people using my original work without my permission. How does that block others? Again, I am not arguing here but trying to understand your points.
4. If my hard work, skill, imagination and that of others takes an underperforming company and builds it into an industry leader and I make a significant amount of money when it is sold how does that have a negative impact on you? Conversely, if you invent a product and end up a billionaire as a result, how does that harm me?
5. Corporations are not democracies. If everyone had as you state "voting rights" companies could not function. Now, that said, corporate governance at America's public companies is abysmal. That is the focus of the book I wrote and reference above.
In regard to CEO pay, I doubt Mr. Baker has ever had the experience of being an owner of a company and as such hiring a really exceptional CEO. Exceptional CEOs are few and far between and they have an impact on companies far beyond what can be imagined unless experienced. In general I have no problem with CEOs making large amounts - the problem is when they are paid large sums that are not in alignment with longer-term performance.
And as to boards, as I noted earlier, the state of corporates governance in public companies is abysmal although being a public company director is far from being a cushy job. The larger problem with public company boards is that the public company governance model is not capitalistic enough. It is more about compliance, risk avoidance, getting along (as you note), political correctness and an obsession with quarterly earnings. It is not designed, as is the private equity governance model, with the intent to develop the full potential of a company.
Capitalism is not a force of harmony but understood properly, it is also not a force of division. It is an economic system that has its foundation in freedom and freedom is directly correlated with personal responsibility. Capitalism and creative works are also in alignment and creative works can be the antithesis of harmony as they often highly disruptive. Capitalism is a system of high energy and requires not only high energy from its participants but also drive, persistence, imagination and as previously stated, personal responsibility, i.e.. the opposite of the most widespread malady in the US: Victimhood.
