Do you hate money? If so, you've got plenty of company.
It's absolutely hilarious to hear wannabe-socialists suddenly proclaiming themselves capitalists. It plays out the minute economic growth slows down or contracts: suddenly, "The Economy" is the laser-beam focus of every candidate, pundit, and journalist of the left. Not for a moment is there the slightest question of what makes an economy sound over the long term; there simply materializes an ogre of monstrous dimensions who threatens every job, contract, and - best of all for commentators - "Working Family".Leftists hate capitalism, and they will even say so outright. They have still not come up with any better way to reduce poverty and raise living standards for all, but this doesn't inhibit the ferocity of their denunciations. To them, the culprits are private property and profits.
Remember the trend of anti-trade rioting that emerged just as Bill Clinton was taking credit for the surge in growth that accompanied his presidency? Here was the modern face of anticapitalism; its goals were perfectly summarized by the banner, "Overthrow Capitalism and Replace it with something nice" - nothing could better explain the willful ignorance of those seduced by fantasies of workers' paradises, and tales of revenge against evil CEOs, landlords, and anyone else who had the audacity to pursue financial enrichment.
Lest you should express sympathy for such misguided folk - or worse, be one yourself - I urge you to consider some of the basics:
-If you feel a pang of recognition when some pundit denounces tax cuts as being a gift to "The Rich", go look at your latest pay stub, and tell yourself honestly just how worthwhile you believe all those deductions to be.
The reason you agree that tax cuts are to be denounced is that you have bought into the notion that people's money belongs to society first, and the individual second. You've got to get past the notion that the government is the sole arbiter of what's in the best interests of "The People".
-If you believe that individual achievement should be encouraged and rewarded, then you are at heart a capitalist. Does that cause you a little shame? Don't worry; it will pass.
Money is used as a way of quantifying goods and services; it is a tool that reflects achievement. Is that too heartless for you? If so, you probably sincerely believe that the concept of private property should be abolished.
-Are you in the United States? If so, take a look around you: even in the worst inner-city slum, you're still looking at a society so wealthy that the elite of even the most comparably-developed countries would gladly trade places with you. Why is this so? Because America's environment allows and encourages individuals to acquire wealth. The sneering disdain that looks down on this arrangement tends to come from those in countries whose endless attempts to make human behavior fit their idealistic schemes have fallen flat - and their economies, and thus societies, can't get up.
-Do you counter these fundamentals by pointing at the aforementioned slums, broken inner-city schools, incarceration rates, and other grievances that can apparently be traced back to America's heartless obsession with the pursuit of wealth? Well, you've been suckered again: America, unlike so many other societies, gives the individual the freest reign on the planet to do as he or she wishes; this means that with so much choice, we can choose ourselves right into crime, drugs, and whatever else tickles our fancy - but no criminal enters prison without having made the choice to be there. Blighted ghettos? What's the illegitimacy rate in the area? Does no one even dare to mention anymore that having children out of wedlock is a bad idea? Is this simply too old-fashioned and moralistic? Again, everyone has a choice. If the schools are as horrible as we are told, then why are we not allowed to use vouchers to promote school choice in areas where the existing institutions have crumbled? Because that's giving up on the public school system? Well, ask the teachers unions: they'll tell you it's because the schools don't have enough money. But they have more money now than they've had at any other point in time, so why isn't it enough? Don't confuse economics with sociology; it's a dangerous game.
-"Smart Growth"? This is environmentalist trickery at its best; by limiting development in any direction, they support policies that make life much more expensive for everyone in the region. Don't be fooled.
-Overpaid CEOs? Don't buy their stock. Markets have an amazing ability to reward what works, and punish what doesn't.
-Finally, a cursed phrase: Privatize Social Security. Why does this notion strike terror into the hearts of so many Americans? Because it's been slickly packaged as a boogeyman. Take another look at that pay stub and ask yourself, "Who do I trust more to manage my money - the government, or myself?"
And the next time you hear a closet socialist complaining about "The Economy", take a moment to ask yourself whether this supposedly enlightened commentator gave a damn about the economy when growth was solid, and unemployment was low - like during George W. Bush's time in office.
posted by ET @ 11:40 AM
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