Monday, June 15, 2009

Rocky and Economics

I have been stating that the Rocky series are some of the best films ever.
There have been books written about the economics and philosophies behind The Lord of the Rings, Matrix, and Star Wars series. Why has Rocky not made the list??

Rocky on comparative advantage:
                Yeah -- My ol' man who was
never the sharpest told me --
I weren't born with much brain
so I better use my body.

ROCKY
(continuing)
What's funny?

ADRIAN
My mother told me just the
opposite. She said, 'You
weren't born with much of a
body so you'd better develop
your brain.'

Rocky on self interest and regulation:
Rocky Balboa:
Yo, don't I got some rights?
Boxing Commissioner:
What rights do you think you're referring to?
Rocky Balboa:
Rights, like in that official piece of paper they wrote down the street there?
Boxing Commissioner:
That's the Bill of Rights.
Rocky Balboa:
Yeah, yeah. Bill of Rights. Don't it say something about going after what makes you happy?
Boxing Commissioner:
No, that's the pursuit of happiness. But what's your point
Rocky Balboa:
My point is I'm pursuing something and nobody looks too happy about it.
Boxing Commissioner:
But... we're just looking out for your interests.
Rocky Balboa:
I appreciate that, but maybe you're looking out for your interests just a
little bit more. I mean you shouldn't be asking people to come down
here and pay the freight on something they paid, it still ain't good
enough, I mean you think that's right? I mean maybe you're doing your
job but why you gotta stop me from doing mine? Cause if you're willing
to go through all the battling you got to go through to get where you
want to get, who's got the right to stop you? I mean maybe some of you
guys got something you never finished, something you really want to do,
something you never said to someone, something... and you're told no,
even after you paid your dues? Who's got the right to tell you that,
who? Nobody! It's your right to listen to your gut, it ain't nobody's
right to say no after you earned the right to be where you want to be
and do what you want to do!... You know, the older I get the more
things I gotta leave behind, that's life. The only thing I'm asking you
guys to leave on the table... is what's right.
Perhaps this will become a regular theme, economics from Rocky.