Poison for the soul: Review of David Lay Williams’ “The Greatest of All Plagues” – Branko Milanovic

On the issue of whether “greed” (love of money) is a necessary ingredient for capitalism, it may be worthwhile to consider what motivates not just the most successful companies, but also those struggling to keep above water.  A large % of US companies are not breaking even. For these companies, motivation to acquire money may arise simply from the pressure of asset depreciation, erosion of product value, and inflation.  Like poor households, corporate losers need to “love” money more than others in order to survive.

The drive to get money may be more general in economic systems – not just applying to capitalism.

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