Sea change.

Editor,

Ah, businessmen. Always thinking of themselves.

There was a sea-change in the way progressives started thinking about politics during the 1980's: instead of arguing against the exaggerated self-interest of businessmen that began to dominate American political thought with the ascension of Ronald Reagan -- call it greed -- on moral grounds, progressives accepted the right wing's framing of social issues and began arguing that "level playing fields" and "equal opportunity" and a "well educated workforce," etc. are in business's self interest.

My point, and I am sure that millions of first responders, teachers, volunteers, and others who give of themselves as a matter of principle to make the world a better place agree, is that caring about something besides oneself is a moral issue, not a matter of self interest.

Re: "Business Fears the Fiscal Cliff" (8/7/2012)