Provocative Statements: Do You Agree or Disagree?
John Stossel’s video “Greed” contains a number of provocative statements, several of which are listed below. You will write a structured reflection on one of the following statements.
1. Choose one statement and copy it to your word document.
2. Explain how you interpret the statement.
3. Then say whether you agree or disagree with the statement.
4. What sorts of evidence could you use to convince someone else of your position?
5. What sorts of evidence would convince you that your position is wrong?
1. No one will ever catch Bill Gates.
2. Rich businessmen are evil.
3. America is about competition and rising above that competition. That is at the
basis of what makes our economy in our society tick.
4. From day one, he (the businessman) has to be concerned with “Who’s buying this?
What need am I satisfying?”. If that’s called greed, then I say greed is good.
5. Everybody’s greedy.
6. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
7. The profit company delivers a better service at a cheaper price.
8. Profit is going to make people do it better.
9. Those areas where people say we’re motivated by caring...there is disaster in this
country.
10. In a free market, you get more for yourself by serving your fellow man.
11. T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductors, comments in the video about his
nice house that cost him $1 million and says “So what? I’ve earned it...I built it,
I own it, I deserve it.”
12. I want as much for me as I can get.
13. When people are this rich, they should give more money away.
14. Giving away money is better than making money.
15. Michael Milken did more for the world than Mother Teresa.