Oil industry Quote by Jason Epstein
![“Yet the extravagant enthusiasm for profit persisted among businessmen. In the spring of 1969 Senator Long [spoke out against] a partisan of the oil industry...[and] that further taxation of oil profits would be disastrous. Such taxes... would remove "all business inventive and lead to Thursday to…” quote by Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c2c/jason-epstein-33609_oil-industry_yet-the-extravagant-enthusiasm-for-profi_498121.jpg)
““Yet the extravagant enthusiasm for profit persisted among businessmen. In the spring of 1969 Senator Long [spoke out against] a partisan of the oil industry...[and] that further taxation of oil profits would be disastrous. Such taxes... would remove "all business inventive and lead to Thursday to Tuesday weekends, wife swapping and drinking." Without the lure of profit, work would thus become meaningless. Americans would become pagan again and evils would prevail much like those that had inflamed Captain Endicott three centuries earlier””
About This Quote
Source Book: The New York Times Magazine, 1970, article by Jason Epstein
The passage sat that profit drives meaning, and removing it would lead to societal decay and moral decline.
In simple terms: Without profit, work loses purpose and society may collapse.
Key Takeaway
Consider the role of incentives in societal health.
Themes
economics
morality
societal structure
meaning
work ethic
Mood
skeptical
reflective
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- business strategy
- public policy
- education reform
- community building
- ethical entrepreneurship
Key Concepts
incentive theory
cultural decay
capitalism critique
Questions to Reflect On
- Can societies thrive without profit motives?
- What alternative motivators could sustain work?
A Different Perspective
It assumes profit is the sole motivator, ignoring altruism and other values.
