Not all businessmen are greedy

To the Editor:

I commend Michael Mulgrew for joining Occupy Wall Street in pointing out the inequities in the American economic system.  Now we need to organize politically to make changes.

However, when you headline “UFT members march on Wall Street to condemn corporate greed” [Oct. 13], we should be aware that most businessmen  are not greedy. Many of them are just lucky they live in the United States in a fortunate niche that allowed them to become filthy rich.

One main purpose of a good democratic government is to redistribute the luck. There is no substitute for good luck — or bad luck. Good luck in business means being there at the right time, preferably with a wealthy father who is a smart lawyer.

For Bill Gates, the right place was the United States at the start of the digital computer revolution.  Fukushima was the wrong place in 2011.  No one can  predict the roll of the dice or avoid bad luck.

Cy A. Adler, retired