Business Ownership a Privilege

The Don Sterling scandal is important in that it highlights a theme being developed by the left. The theme is that business ownership is a privilege, and that the ruling elite should have the power to yank ownership at a political whim.


In this case, Don Sterling's personal secretary made a secret recording with remarks that inflamed outrage. The case ends with political authorities banning Sterling from the NBA and an attempt to strip Don Sterling's ownership of the LA Clippers. (which presumably will end up in the hands of politically favored billionaires).

In my last post, I listened to the Don Sterling tape on YouTube. V. Stiviano, who was recording a private conversation, appeared to be baiting the conversation. The things she was saying about skin were as inflammatory as Sterling, but she said them in a mild tone. Don Sterling was clearly exasperated about the conversation.

The political fire-storm from this tape led NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to ban Mr. Sterling's from the NBA and to seek taking Mr. Sterling's business away.

IMHO, this issue of whether or not the ruling elite should be able to strip businesses from people they find politically incorrect is an extremely important question.

A week ago, I broke down and read Mein Kampf. In Mein Kampf, Hitler frames as race of people as the people's enemy. Once in power be began the process of stripping the Jewish people of their businesses and their property. He finally devolved into committing genocide.

BTW, Mr. Sterling is Jewish. This act of stripping a person of a business for being judged politically incorrect is a sterling case of history repeating itself.

The important issue in the Sterling case is: Should the ruling elite have the ability to strip people of their business when they are judged politically incorrect?

There is a possibility that Don Sterling is a racist. Is this sufficient cause to strip someone from their business?

The tape that led to the seizure of Sterling's business was recorded privately by a person who was having an argument with Mr. Sterling. Arguably, the tape was made to bait Mr. Sterling into making a racist comment.

The debate about whether or not Mr. Sterling should be stripped of his business is made even more compelling by the possibility that he was set up? When we have a society where the ruling elite are able to strip people of their business, then we have a situation where players can set up people for a fall. If you pretend that you are Perry Mason and that Don Sterling was your innocent client who was being baited, you will see this possibility in the tape.

The fact that Mr. Sterling is Jewish makes the debate even more interesting because the case appears to be one in which history is repeating itself. Just last century ago, Jews were having their businesses and property stripped from them for political reasons.

I am inclined to see business ownership as a right and not a privilege. I believe that stripping a person of his business is wrong even if the person is an ugly 80 year old Jewish man. I fear that our country is headed into an ugly era if we revive the notion that the political elite should strip people of their business if they are politically incorrect.