Warren Buffett, Gordon Gecko, The Credit Crisis, and Ethics

I have always found movies to be problematic. They are fun to watch, when they aren't too stupid, disturbing, or perverse. I never saw the beginning of Wall Street, but I have seen the end. In that famous scene from the movie, Michael Douglas, playing the character of Gordon Gecko, stands in front of a meeting of stock holders for an airline. Gecko/Douglas hopes to buy, rebuild, break apart, and sell the company for a healthy profit, not just for himself, but also for the investors, many of which see heart-felt value in keeping the company together. He tells them, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed works." I was reminded of this when Stephen Schiff wrote today about writing a sequel to Wall Street, especially since he thinks that we have learned our lesson; Mr Schiff ends the article with this: 

Greed good? Not even Gordon Gekko would say so now.  

Not so fast, people! Look at the greatest of corporate raiders, and see that at least the language is still greed-centric. Warren Buffett said in an op-ed for The New York Times on 10/16/2008 that we should "be greedy when others are fearful".

Buffett is a master of the hedge fund, and he's telling everyone to look for opportunities in American companies. Yet. it is interesting how he breaks this down: be greedy now! Buffett may know Gordon Gecko's character, and like Gecko, he wants to make money for himself... and for others, too. The problem is this: money makes you feel powerful, because it is powerful. Buffett is not foolish, but his choice of words betrays a heart that feels no sympathy for the safety seekers. The strange thing about this whole process? It's that all of the safety seekers may have lost some value in their house, but they are in the best position now to actually grow. In my opinion, Mr. Buffett is wrong. Greed when others are fearful is not the solution; it's independence from the mainstream investors and a desire to balance risk and ethics. I pray, "God, please give people like Buffett a closer watch on their words." It's at least one factor in making people act with grace, integrity, and understanding.

Read this article about Money, False Prosperity, and Pentecost

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1847053,00.html?cnn=yes

I found this article on the CNN web site. Since I was a boy, I have been part of Pentecostal church groups. As well, I have learned the sinister nature of "The Prosperity Gospel", a style of teaching which deserves two colorful descriptions of it: "Name it, Claim it" and "Blab it, Grab it". This brand of Pentecostalism is certainly worthy of some mockery. 

From my perspective, there aren't many complete phony pastors.  Yes, if I will be honest, almost all Prosperity Gospel teachers try to teach the Bible and the words of Jesus Christ. In particular, they enjoy quoting Jesus when he says, "Give and it will be given to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over." (Gospel of Luke 6:38) Seems straightforward, right? 

Well, there is a problem when this promise is misapplied to giving money. See, the passage is about judging others and forgiving your fellow human. You forgive others, and God will be abundantly gracious and forgiving to you. Even Jim Bakker - the former PTL tycoon/minister - realized that the hard way: after he had fallen into sin, then out of prosperity, thrown in prison, and looked to God for his guidance and forgiveness.  Read about it in his memoir, I was wrong

What impressed me about Mr. David Van Biema's article is not just its even handed tone. More than that, Mr. Van Biema knows his subject. Brownsville Assembly of God and the magazine Charisma are both important parts of the Pentecostal / Charismatic community. As well, there are no quotations of dizzy, talkative members of hyper-faith congregations. These are honest thoughts about both God's intervention and man's desire for "the good life". Sometimes pain is a good thing, discipline is a blessing, and heartache is a gateway to growth. Thankfully, Mr. Van Biema's telling of the story shows how heart-wrenching it can be to realize that pennies from Heaven sometimes are a burden to return, not a blessing to spend.

Word from Zhang Xue Ying in Sichuan Province

Today I received this word from my friend and business associate Zhang Xue Ying, who goes by Michelle. She is a director for the Sichuan Convention Center. Read what is happening there.

Please Pray for all of Sichuan Province!

My editing is in brackets...
"Dear Eric,

I am fine. My family is fine. My associates and friends are all fine. However, we are losing so many lives in other small counties which were heavily damaged. The earthquake is the most heavy one in our county. I think you know the number of lost people right now, and the number
is still [rising]. The whole nation is trying to save as many lives as [possible]. Our Prime Minister has been here since Monday when it happened. I really like him.

The earthquake stroked around 2:30PM. I was in my office on 8th floor along with my associates. We were terrified and ran [out of] the building....... Mobile was down in that afternoon...... Later on, we knew that the quake center is 92km away from our city, the city with
more than 10 million people. But the counties [closer] to the central [read: epicenter] were in catastrophe.

It is so horrible to see this [happen], but it is also [encouraging] to see so many people try to do their best to save others. The government, the troops, and the professionals( doctors, rescue team, including red cross). Lots of citizens volunteered to do small things. I know "God help those who help themselves". But it is so depressing and make hearts so sad when seeing the lost of lives, the most of all, the dead children.......

Thanks so much for your care. I can't see your [blog] you wrote. Would you please forward to me? Also, thanks for your saying" what can I do for all of you?". I got other phones from friends from Demark, Canada and the United States and felt so warm by the same saying. I don't know what
I could do for others. I might go to the " Children Center" tomorrow. I have signed on the volunteer list. If you could do something to help with the children who lost their parents or ability, that would be most kind and [merciful].

The city was sleepless for the first two nights. It is quieter now.

Michelle"

Don't forget Zimbabwe... or Burma... or China

Lately, as a result of the web, anyone who reads this will also read more about natural (and man-made) disasters than ever before, like the Cyclone in Burma and the foolish actions of the Elite there. Sichuan Province, specifically the earthquake and the struggle to survive in Chengdu and in the northwestern rural areas, is front page news worldwide.

It is absolutely horrible that people are dying, regardless of where. However, it's good to know what is happening, especially since the Chinese government made it seem like their West was off limits to foreign reports lately. Yes, Tibet is a lot different than Sichuan, but news from outside the Megalopolises (or is it megalopoles? ;-) of Shanghai, Beijing, and other Eastern cities is helpful to me, in a way. I believe that more interconnection -- with news and business -- is a good thing, although it poses one important question: Should I buy from China when Christians and Buddhists there either have their freedom to worship God restricted or stolen from them?

THE REAL REASON FOR MY BLOG ENTRY

About two weeks before the earthquake, I met someone for the first time from Sichuan; pardon me, I may have met another previously without knowing. I live and work from the U.S.A., in the Baltimore/Washington Megalopolis. I received a lead for my Event Management Software solution company (called a2z, Inc.) from Sichuan's Convention Center. The lady, Zhang Xue Ying who goes by Michelle, was personable, but she was not a real prospect for my company. I will need to partner with Parrimark in Great Britian to work with her. Potentially, I can work with one of her associates in Sichuan.

Yet, now I am waiting to hear from her, praying that this lady is alive and strong. She is intelligent and helpful. I don't think she follows Jesus Christ in any significant way, since, in China, many jobs are just not available to you if you follow a religion. That's OK, for the moment, but I think about eternal souls, including Michelle's. No offense to anyone here -- I am not the judge of a person's motives and heart. Hopefully, I will get to hear from her soon to know a little more about Michelle's worldview. That would be great.

So, I ask God this morning at 1 AM local time -- Is she OK? Why did this happen? How can I help her and her fellow citizens in Sichuan? I don't know. I only know that God is in control of my relationships, including my business interactions.

More to come... I have very urgent news about what is hapening in Zimbabwe. There is an orphanage there named Eden Children's Village, which is under desperate attack, both spiritually and physically. Please pray for calm and godly leadership. If anyone, including President Robert Mugabe, is in charge, I would accept it IF thugs were not attacking people in the street and in their homes because of their Political Affiliation. However, Mugabe is in power, his ZANU-PF party supports violence against its political rivals and any foreigner who attempts to stay neutral. Eden Children's Village is supported by ME and hundreds, if not thousands of Christians in the USA. Please pray for their safety, and I will give you more information soon.

Have a Truly Successful Day!
Eric Hatch
MrEricHatch@yahoo.com

Please post your responses!

Starting to Understand... and a preview

This message is my first blog entry ever. I am trying to find what words express my vantage point, and I also want my words to clarify my thoughts. Here's an important point for me: it is impossible to understand yourself if you can not express your opinion. I believe that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said,

"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything."

In the same way, if you don't express something, you will let the voice of others be your own. You may be wrong or inexperienced, but if you say something, someone can challenge you. Consequently, you will need to support the views you express.



Of course, you can keep your thoughts to yourself. Like my beautiful wife says, when I ask her, "What are you thinking?", she says,

"Everything and Nothing!"

That would irritate the snot out of me when we started our married life. Now I understand why she says this... OK, I sort of think that I have a clue! She has a lot on her mind, and sometimes, it's difficult to talk with and to me if her emotions are strong or when her feelings aren't running high. As she tries to understand herself, she has memories and feelings but not concrete views she wants me to know.

Thankfully, she doesn't blurt our the first thing that comes to mind. Some feelings don't need to be expressed immediately. Maybe, we can think first, attempt to calm down, and then discuss out some ideas. It's like discovering who you are, not just in your head, but in relationship to others. I may feel good about my actions and words, but they may be poisonous to others.

So, I am starting this blog to help me understand myself and life. It will cover issues associated with cultures and interaction between them. I will discuss religion, doctrine, worldviews, and philosophy. I will discuss, maybe most importantly, imagination.

I think that God thought the world up, but even if you see life and origins differently, the possibilities of this universe are almost boundless. With God, nothing is impossible. Without Him, life is incredibly interesting. Without the supernatural, there is a limit; one can comprehend things through the five senses and through the imagination. That's a big field, but still with a limit.

I hope that I can interact and communicate with anyone who can read this, even the staunchest atheist (the Christopher Hitchens disciples of the world): not as "my next conquest/victim", but as someone who deserves my attention. Therefore, I hope that people will read this and express themselves. I hope that my words can move your mind to know yourself and others more. Thanks for listening! I look forward to knowing more, because of each of you, my readers... if anyone does read this!

A Preview of a Future Posting:
Immigration: Who's Included in "We The People"?

How an American (whatever that means) strive "to form a More Perfect Union" without accepting rules for that union? In my opinion, immigration is an important issue because a Republic, e.g. the United States of America, is based on an agreement of its citizens to live together for a common purpose. On the flip side, there have been attempts at closed "republics", which are little more than country clubs focused not on influence but on protection.


The USA has had starts and stops on the road to becoming a Republic. Even in places like Virginia, with the least entrance requirements, new arrivals to the colony were not considered potential members of the agreement if you were a slave. You are in chains? Well, thanks for not dying on the Middle Passage! You get to spend the next undefined number of years of your life working for the good of the community!

At one point, Utah (actually what the Latter-Day Saints called Deseret) and other Seperatists like the New England Puritan communities wanted a community for "True Believers". However, when we separate ourselves, we exclude others, thereby creating enemies.

So, do we have rules for inclusion in this Republic? WHat are they? How do we deal with Cross-Pollenization of cultures? What Truths do we hold "to be self-evident"?

Feel Free to Respond to me here. I will talk with you, God willing and me working, promptly.
E.X. Hatch