(Or, why Gary Becker’s question still nags at me.) By Conor Clarke David, before I read your piece , the simplified way in which I’d been dividing the world of creative capitalism (as it applies to corporations) was as follows: First, there are firms for which “recognition” is just another word for profit maximization — that is, they do good things because it gives them a happier staff, or attracts more dedicated consumers, or helps them disguise greed, or whatever (“public relations charity,” in Posner’s words). Second, there are firms for which good works do mean a real sacrifice to the bottom line

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But can they really?

BANCADA FRETILIN COMUNICADO DE IMPRENSA “Fretilin Contra Dekretu Lei Fundo de Estabilizasaun Ekonomiku” Ohin Fretilin hakarak manifesta nia preokupasaun kona ba proposta ida iha orsamentu rectifikativu nebe’e tuir ami nia hare’e nakonu ho ilegalidade no laiha transparencia. Deklarasaun ne’e fo sai hosi Chefe Bankada FRETILIN, Aniceto Guterres, Lio hosi Komunikado Imprensa, Quinta Feira (16/10), relasiona kona ba dekretu lei kona ba Fundo de Estabilizasaun Ekonomiku nebe’e Konselho Ministru Aprova ona ho hetan ona promulgasaun hosi Presidente da Republika Ramos Horta, Maske iha buat barak no seluk iha orsamentu rectifikativu nebe’e ema barak preokupa proposta atu hari’i Fundo de Estabilizasaun Ekonomiku ne’e proposta projetu ida. Iha loron 14 de Julho 2008, Presidente da Republika promulga (maibe sei hein publikasaun) Dekretu lei nebe’e kria fundo lei ida nebe’e governu de facton ne’e hakarak Parlamentu aprova $ 240 milhoes, no fo kbit ba governu de faktu ne’e atu gasta ba objektivu nebe’e seidauk klaru iha pagina ida ho balun deit no artigu 8 deit.

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Comunicado de Imprensa da Bancada da FRETILIN: "Fretilin Contra Dekretu Lei Fundo de Estabilizasaun Ekonomiku"

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE FRETILIN Media Release 13 July 2008 FRETILIN demands President, Vice Presidents and Secretaries of Parliament release documents on purchase of luxury vehicles for MPs FRETILIN parliamentary group deputy leader, Francisco Miranda Branco today demanded that the President, Vice Presidents and Secretaries of the National Parliament (known as the ‘Parliamentary Administration’) provide copies of the contract and Commitment Payment Vouchers (‘CPV’) for the proposed purchase of luxury 4 wheel drive vehicles for members of the national parliament. “Despite repeated calls to do so by our party group, and the National Unity Party group, the Parliamentary Administration have thus far failed to divulge to us copies of the contract and CPV documents.

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Media Release: FRETILIN demands President, Vice Presidents and Secretaries of Parliament release documents on purchase of luxury vehicles for MPs

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE FRETILIN Media Release 15 July 2008 FRETILIN condemns secret Timor Sea gas deal FRETILIN today condemned a secret deal by Xanana Gusmao’s de facto AMP government to give a foreign oil company the exclusive right to market petroleum from the Greater Sunrise Field in the Timor Sea. FRETILIN said the multi-billion-dollar deal again raised questions about malpractice and maladministration within the Gusmao administration and demanded that details and copies of the agreement be made public. FRETILIN parliamentarian and former Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Jose Teixeira said: “From the little they have told us, the government has given the exclusive right to market petroleum from the Greater Sunrise Field to a single foreign company without an open tender.

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Media Release: FRETILIN condemns secret Timor Sea gas deal

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE FRETILIN KOMUNIKADU BA IMPRENSA 13 Julhu, 2008 FRETILIN Ezigi Meza Parlamentu Nasional Fo Sai Kopia Surat Kontratu no CPV Kona Ba Sosa Kareta ba Deputadus Vice Chefe Bankada FRETILIN, Francisco Branco ohin ezigi dala ida tan ba meza parlamentu nasional atu fo sai kopia dokumentus kontratu no CPV sosa kareta ba deputadus parlamentu nasional. “Maske ami nia bankada, no bankada PUN mos ezigi ona dalan rua ba meza parlamentu nasional atu fo sai dokumentus kontratus hirak nee, no CPV, meza seidauk hatan ba ami nia pedidu.

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Komunikadu Imprensa: FRETILIN Ezigi Meza Parlamentu Nasional Fo Sai Kopia Surat Kontratu no CPV Kona Ba Sosa Kareta ba Deputadus

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE FRETILIN Media Release July 9, 2008 FRETILIN MPs back Amnesty International concern at student arrests The Gusmao de facto AMP government and its allies in the national parliament have to listen to Amnesty International’s concerns, said the MPs from FRETILIN yesterday, as a further 16 students were arrested while holding another peaceful protest against government corruption. FRETILIN is the largest party in the Timor-Leste parliament. “We as Timorese who resisted against the Suharto military regime, in many instances have Amnesty International to thank for helping to save our lives,” said Aniceto Guterres, leader of the FRETILIN parliamentary group

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Media Release: FRETILIN MPs back Amnesty International concern at student arrests

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE FRETILIN Media Release July 7, 2008 Call to investigate Gusmão’s rice contract for mates The de facto Prime Minister of Timor Leste, Xanana Gusmao, is being widely condemned for awarding a US$14.4 million rice supply contract to a ‘mate’, without a competitive tender. FRETILIN today called for an independent investigation into the contract which went to the company Tres Amigos, headed by Mr Germanu da Silva, Vice-President of Gusmao’s CNRT party, and an old friend and a member of Mr Gusmao’s Finance Department when he was President. FRETILIN Vice President, former minister and MP Arsenio Bano today condemned the contract and called for a full and transparent independent inquiry into the deal that even some CNRT MPs have criticised as indicative of “Corrupt, Collusive and Nepotistic” conduct, known in Timor-Leste by its Indonesian acronym “KKN”.

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Media Release: Call to investigate Gusmão’s rice contract for mates

By Kyle Chauvin The call for something called “creative capitalism” reflects a recognition that market incentives hold the potential to solve problems that baffle even the most concerted efforts of philanthropy and state action. But what comes out of that recognition seems to me a bit odd: a call for capitalism, as practiced in advanced economies that already practice it best, to be changed or fixed. Before we devote a lot of energy to reforming capitalism at home, where it already works pretty well, maybe we should devote more effort to extending capitalism’s reach in places where it hasn’t yet fully flowered

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Don’t Change Capitalism — Expand it.

By Nancy Birdsall It’s always seemed to me that one of the best things that global firms operating in developing countries can do is a different sort of lobbying from that mentioned by John Williamson : lobbying for a level playing field – in settings where their choice is to join others in seeking noncompetitive privileges from government through bribery or other pressures, or resist the “competitive” pressure and lobby for fair rules and effective enforcement. (Whether this is creative capitalism by Gates’s definition or anyone else’s I don’t know

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Re: What about lobbying?

By John Roemer Quite apart from the legal problems of adopting corporate charity — due to a firm’s fiduciary responsibilities , discussed elsewhere — there are substantial objections to relying on a form of charity as the redress for excessive inequality. Many, myself included, believe that justice requires a far more equal distribution of income and material benefits than currently exists in the United States, let alone in the world. Repairing the present injustice should not be left to charity (or corporate philanthropy), but should be a state mandate.

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Tax the Rich

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE FRETILIN Media Release July 2, 2008 Timor Leste: Second defeat for controversial gun law A controversial new gun law proposed by Timor Leste’s de facto government suffered a second defeat in parliament on Monday, and debate on the draft law was postponed. Article 4 of the draft law, drawn up by Xanana Gusmao’s AMP (Parliamentary Majority Alliance) without any public consultation, would empower the national police commander to licence civilians to obtain and carry firearms. Following Monday’s vote, FRETILIN’s parliamentary leader Aniceto Guterres called on the AMP leadership to allow MPs a conscience vote on the issue

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Media Release: Timor Leste: Second defeat for controversial gun law