I've read the article previously and came to the same conclusion as your thread title ("heh heh"), namely that the article was a bit of a joke.
I'm sorry you hate that movie - it's one of my all-time favorites. Maybe you believe it is promoting communism, I don't know. Personally I believe it has more to do with the concept of true Christian charity, but it does not promote bad business. It is not a simple case of the good socialist (Bailey) and the evil capitalist (Potter). They each do things that would be considered good or bad business.
- George Bailey's speech that thwarts the bank run is surprisingly dead on for a movie (explaining the basic banking concept of deposits and loans) and is conveniently left out of this discussion.
- Mr. Potter pockets the $8,000 that Uncle Billy unwittingly drops in his lap; Potter then sends the police to Bailey's house - this is good business?
- The Bailey Building & Loan appeals to a customer base that is left out by Potter's bank - Bailey is conducting smart business. Now, today's BB&L would have also been the ones handing out high-interest, subprime mortgages to high risk borrowers (and therefore would probably be out of business now). But 1) this movie takes place between the 1st and 2nd World Wars, way before the days of credit cards and such. And 2) that would be a really boring movie.
- Not only does Bailey's B&L appeal to an untapped demographic, but it also provides superior customer service. This is why, as we learn later in the movie, that more and more of the townsfolk are leaving Potter's bank for the Bailey B&L. While Bailey is not receiving a huge profit, they receive enough from a large customer base to support a family of six during the Great Depression (eight if you count Bailey's mother and Uncle Billy, who he undoubtedly also supports).
uke