TRADING IS NEVER PERSONAL.

Stocks are just pieces of paper. But that doesn't mean I don't have strong opinions about the businesses those stocks represent. You can love a company but hate its stock, and vice versa. For example, I think

AOL Time Warner

Most people would agree that America's prosperity is the product of capitalist free enterprise, but few actually acknowledge the capitalist heroes who make that prosperity happen. So in the midst of giving thanks this holiday season and at a time when we've all been thinking about the meaning of heroism I'm giving my props to the men and woman who run American business, big and small, because they mostly run it very well and for the benefit of all of us.

When an August Harris Poll asked people to list others they thought of as heroes, the most cited names belonged to figures from the worlds of religion, politics or entertainment. While there probably isn't an individual on this earth who hasn't benefited from American business, from Henry Ford to Hank Greenberg, Andy Grove to Adolphus Busch, no business leader made the cut.

Maybe it's just me, but when it's 2 a.m. and something aches, there are few sights as reassuring as a 24-hour Walgreen. And when you need a nail, but aren't sure exactly which one, it's nice to know there's a Home Depot in the 'hood. I don't hate big business. I'm thankful for it.

And while it might seem strange to voice appreciation for all of the category-killer companies that have put mom and pop out of business, the truth is that shopping doesn't have to be a political statement. It's OK to buy the highest quality goods at the lowest prices available. If that happens to be at Best Buy or Target, so be it. That's the nature of capitalism. Some win and some lose, but the public only prospers.

Technology is another ideal example. From cell phones to computers, there isn't one piece of electronics that hasn't been made almost absurdly affordable by our nation's business leaders.

When the Atari video-game system, for example, was first released in 1977, it cost $200. Based on even moderate inflation, that would mean an equivalent system today would cost almost $600. The reason Microsoft's new Xbox costs only $299 (and Nintendo's Game Cube even less) is due to innovation and competition in the highly lucrative video-game-console market.

System software is no different. For $199, you can buy the newest edition of Windows XP, and while it isn't cheap, it's a bargain considering the productivity that the software provides. Yet despite the fact that millions count on Microsoft products for both their professional and personal lives, none of its founders or current management are considered heroes by the average American. John Glenn and Colin Powell, yes. But why not Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer?

While large corporations and their leaders are often portrayed as greedily exploiting the consumer, the old saying is true: What's good for General Motors (or Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson or any other big business) is good for America. Technology is just one example among hundreds of industries where the free market has succeeded in providing more service at less expense.

While I'm short shares of General Electric, for example, I always feel as if I should send Jeffrey Immelt a check each Thursday morning because the previous night's West Wing (on GE's NBC network) wasn't only fantastic entertainment, but conveniently provided at absolutely no charge.

Yet businesspeople always seem to get a bum rap. Asked in another recent survey which professions carried the highest level of prestige, a majority of respondents cited doctors or teachers. Businesspeople ranked dead last. They've placed last almost every year since the survey began in 1977.

The financial news these days is certainly bleak. And while job cuts and a slowing economy are tough to swallow, the eventual rebound will come not from Washington, but from Wall Street and Main Street. Prosperity wasn't created by Alan Greenspan, but by the innovation, courage and ingenuity of our nation's business community.

It's common knowledge that FedEx CEO and founder Fred Smith received a "C" on the college paper he wrote proposing a business that would eventually become FedEx. I'm sure the company's 88,000 employees and millions of customers are glad he didn't let the low mark discourage him.

The story best illustrates what far too few people acknowledge. From new products to new jobs, wealth is created by those who are brave enough to try. And whether it's the CEO or the shipping clerk, the American businessperson is a hero to whom the entire world should be grateful.

Jonathan Hoenig is portfolio manager at Capitalistpig, a Chicago-based hedge fund. At the time of writing, his fund was short shares of AOL Time Warner and General Electric.