Corporate leaders are required to represent shareholder’s interests – not taxpayers interests. We cannot expect corporate leaders to refrain from accepting government handouts or supporting legislation that gives them an advantage. It is their mission to seek lower costs and higher revenues – higher profits.

Elected government leaders should be representing those who elect them. When Congress gives money or advantage to business at the expense of the taxpayer or consumer, it is Congress, not business, that ignores its responsibility.

Alas, the answer is simpler but more profound. CEOs go to the same schools, are exposed to the same media, and attend the same churches as the rest of everyone else. They believe in the class theory of conflicts of interest, altruism, pragmatism, and often go for the quick grab rather than seek to build long-term value. And, of course, their shareholders drive them to this (and fire them if they don’t behave this way).

Bottom line: it’s very, VERY hard to live rationally in this culture, and damned few people even try.

Where are CEO’s (or anyone else) to get exposed to rational ideas? Where are they to learn that free markets are, in fact, good for business?

Perhaps blogs written by libertarian B-school grads?