‘Profit motive’ can benefit everyone

If Thomas Robertson, the new dean of Wharton School, really wants his students to be a "force for good’"in the world, he ought to teach them the virtue of the profit motive, not altruism ("Wharton dean wants school seen as ‘force for good,’" USATODAY.com, Saturday).

The selfish desire for long-term personal wealth is the best incentive for creating sound and effective businesses. While it’s possible for a company to be both profitable and socially conscious, it is more likely to succeed when it bases its decisions on profit.

Donald Trump, whom the article cites as Robertson’s antithesis, has been revitalizing neighborhoods for decades, and his real estate development company alone employs more than 22,000 workers. Everyone prospers when entrepreneurs operate for profit.

Michelle Minton, policy analyst

Competitive Enterprise Institute – Washington