Mere Capitalism
The Left as well as the Media love to portray capitalism as something inherently evil, while they themselves enjoy the benefits of it. While greed seems to be the motivating force behind Capitalism, the truth of the matter is that greed is a primary force behind most human endeavors, Capitalism is simply honest about it. Did the leaders of the former Soviet Union live in squalor like most of the people who suffered under the system they ruled? No, of course not, neither do the leaders in Communist China or Cuba. They allow themselves perks the average citizen is denied. Who lives in the biggest house in Communist North Korea? The unelected dictator. Who lives in the largest house in the US? The Vanderbilt family, not the President. Actually quite a few people live in homes larger than the one provided for the US President.
In fact, in few Capitalist nation will you find those running the government, living in the largest houses, or possessing the greatest wealth. But in few Communist countries will you find anyone living as well off as those in control of the government.
And in spite of what some may say, socialists are Communists. Name one purely socialist nation that isn't Communist. Every nation that's dared dabble with socialism, hedged that attempt with a strong emphasis in Capitalism to ensure a vital economy, which means it wasn't real Socialism.
Individuals need to make a living, therefore they expect to get paid for what they do. However, when productivity is divorced from income, time and time again history has shown most people have little interest in any real productivity. The pilgrims discovered that when they first came to the New World. They were lured into the concept of sharing burden and resources, because it sounded so noble. They almost starved to death. Seeing the failure of that approach, they instituted a system of Capitalism, allowing each person access to what they themselves worked to produce. From that point on they thrived.
The problem comes from the false assumption that benevolence can ever be forced. Once you've rationalized using the force of law to take people's possessions, stealing other things becomes very easy. Ultimately the greedy gravitate to positions of power, leaving society a reverse prison, where the dishonest are in control and the honest suffer deprivation. Socialism, cannot exist without forced "benevolence", and it therefore always becomes Communism. Capitalism, however, is built on the principle of freedom—freedom to keep what you build. Starting from a position of freedom, it can then maintain that same ideal. All Capitalist nations understand the core principles of Capitalism, and therefore work to ensure fair competition, private property rights and limited government.
There will always be a conflict between what a business owner thinks is fair and what the employees think is fair, but ultimately, competition solves that problem. The fair and generous employer can keep the most productive employees, giving that business an advantage. The horror stories of Capitalism come not from Capitalism, but from those who failed to follow the principles of Capitalism and stopped being Capitalists to become thugs, cheats and thieves. Ironically the person most viewed as an example in the US of Capitalism gone bad, Bill Gates, contributes heavily to socialist causes. His failure come from his abandonment of Capitalism, not his use of it.
When guns were first introduced into Japan in the 16th century, Samurai thought them cowardly weapons which allowed the unskilled to kill from a distance, rather than having to bravely face their enemies. The Samurai preferred their deadly katanas—deadly at three feet, pretty much useless at five feet. Thousands of Samurai subsequently died because they failed to distinguish between the illusion of false bravado and reality. The illusion of Socialism as moral and Capitalism as immoral contains the same seeds of destruction. As long as we court with Socialism in our tax system, in our economic policies and in our educational institutions, we poison our future.
Posted by Danny Carlton at April 1, 2008 7:32 AM