Saturday, February 11, 2006
My Father’s Wisdom
One day my father remarked that if one had a sufficient sum of money to start with, he could always find ways to make more money. However, if he didn’t have the money, he could never increase his wealth.
He didn’t say it, but that’s one of the effects of free, uncontrolled, unregulated capitalism. The system operates to reward the investors, those who are already somewhat rich. It makes them richer. It provides goods and services at competitive prices that the rich and the somewhat rich can afford. It provides jobs at low wages to the poor. My father knew all this. He lived during the time of the “Robber Barons,” who controlled and ran the capitalist system to enrich themselves. He inherited a small business from his father. During the Great Depression (1929 – 1937) he lost it and didn’t have enough money to start another one.
Some of the ideologues who support and advise the Bush Administration believe that capitalism and free enterprise, if completely freed from government regulation and high taxes, would bring about a utopia in which everyone would have enough food, enough clothing, warm places to live, adequate medical care, and all the rest. Government interference and heavy taxation prevent the system from fulfilling the promised utopia.
My father knew better. He lived during times when taxes were low and government regulation didn’t exist, when labor unions were weak, and when men worked in factories for low wages in unsafe conditions. A man was lucky in those days to live to be 70 years. Both of my grandfathers died before reaching that age.
So, what do I do about all this? I am only one person, one vote on Election Day, and have the privilege of writing little articles for this blog. I don’t know how persuasive I am. I know that the ideologues are dead wrong, even though they mean well and are sincere in their desire to bring about a better society.
What would I do if I had the power to reshape our society and our economic system? I would advocate in favor of a little socialism. Let certain services that are both beneficial and necessary for everyone be provided by government or by regulated non-profit institutions. I won’t try to say here just which services are beneficial and necessary to all. That decision must be left to the public, either by representative assemblies or by referenda. Meanwhile, I shall continue to write and agitate in opposition to the ideas and the visions of the new conservative ideologues.
He didn’t say it, but that’s one of the effects of free, uncontrolled, unregulated capitalism. The system operates to reward the investors, those who are already somewhat rich. It makes them richer. It provides goods and services at competitive prices that the rich and the somewhat rich can afford. It provides jobs at low wages to the poor. My father knew all this. He lived during the time of the “Robber Barons,” who controlled and ran the capitalist system to enrich themselves. He inherited a small business from his father. During the Great Depression (1929 – 1937) he lost it and didn’t have enough money to start another one.
Some of the ideologues who support and advise the Bush Administration believe that capitalism and free enterprise, if completely freed from government regulation and high taxes, would bring about a utopia in which everyone would have enough food, enough clothing, warm places to live, adequate medical care, and all the rest. Government interference and heavy taxation prevent the system from fulfilling the promised utopia.
My father knew better. He lived during times when taxes were low and government regulation didn’t exist, when labor unions were weak, and when men worked in factories for low wages in unsafe conditions. A man was lucky in those days to live to be 70 years. Both of my grandfathers died before reaching that age.
So, what do I do about all this? I am only one person, one vote on Election Day, and have the privilege of writing little articles for this blog. I don’t know how persuasive I am. I know that the ideologues are dead wrong, even though they mean well and are sincere in their desire to bring about a better society.
What would I do if I had the power to reshape our society and our economic system? I would advocate in favor of a little socialism. Let certain services that are both beneficial and necessary for everyone be provided by government or by regulated non-profit institutions. I won’t try to say here just which services are beneficial and necessary to all. That decision must be left to the public, either by representative assemblies or by referenda. Meanwhile, I shall continue to write and agitate in opposition to the ideas and the visions of the new conservative ideologues.
