this was part of schumpeter's description. schumpeter's general conclusion?se enormous, short-lived profits are justified by the benefits innovation brings. given the dominant role that innovation has played in american economic growth, it's difficult to disagree. huge profits can represent monopoly and distortion, but they also can be the oil that lubricates the wheels of progress. of the thousands of people who start new firms every year in this country, most will fail. financial institutions, large corporations, and individual entrepreneurs must calculate probabilities for failure and success. we're propelled by the marketplace to invest our time and money in those ventures offering the best chance of return. for economics usa, i'm david schoumacher. captioning is made possible by the annenberg/cpb project captioning performed by the national captioning institute, inc. captions copyright 1986 educational film center hasyou look healthyd, "you and you feel fine, health"? but that may not be the full picture. colorectal cancer is the number two cancer killer