The Piercing Truth

This is right from the dictionary and seems to describe Albuquerque, Berry and Schultz. Fascism (f ash ,izem) noun An authoritarian right wing system of government and/or social organization. (in general use) extreme right wing, authoritarian, chauvinistic and/or intolerant views or practices. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one group over another, national, ethnic, especially social strata or monetarily; a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach. Compliments of one of our Eyes

Mar 26, 2009

Greed and Liberty

A few weeks back we received a "video" featuring the late Milton Friedman. Friedman was a Nobel laureate economist whose basic economic premise was one of individuals acting in their own self-interest. He argued that the best system was one where individuals were allowed to choose their own paths - ones that were beneficial to their futures and in their own interests.

Some call Friedman's theories a defense of greed. We'd argue that greed only exists where there's an absence of the ability to choose another course of action - an absence of liberty.

In a market driven society, parties enter into agreements voluntarily - agreements that benefit the self-interests of both parties. If one party fails hold up their end of the bargain thereby harming the interests of the other party, their transaction fails. As a consequence, the failing party is punished by a market that will increasingly refuse to enter into transactions that benefit their interests.

There's an old saying in business... make a customer happy and they'll tell ten people - make a customer unhappy and they'll tell a hundred. Such is the nature of the market. Punishment is meted out almost immediately, while good reputations are earned over time.

Government cannot and does not stop the natural human pursuit of self-interest. In fact, government amplifies its effect. By definition, government employees and officials have authority over the governed. Each and every one has the ability to impose their individual will upon those whom they are supposed to serve. Sometimes they are serving the "public good." Other times, they are following orders. And still other times they are following some arbitrary whim. But in each and every case, they are serving their own self-interest.

"The world runs on individuals pursuing their self-interests." It really doesn't matter whether or not you live in a communist, capitalist, socialist, or fascist, society - people pursue their self-interests as they understand them.

Often people wonder how so many Germans could stand by and watch so many Jews being slaughtered at the hands of blood-thirsty Nazis. The answer is simple. The German population, not targeted by Nazi hatred feared for their lives. They believed that it was in their self-interest to look the other way.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where those in power "never want a serious crisis to go to waste." We as citizens have chosen a group of leaders who believe that the answer to our county's crises is to take ever more control of our country's financial and business institutions. They've pointed the finger of blame at business while at the same time preventing those same institutions from bearing the consequences of their bad actions.

From bailouts to treaty violations (NAFTA) to healthcare to taxes on bonuses to global warming for God's sake, the answer is to give more and more authority to an ever more tyrannical government. And make no mistake - government is acting in its own self-interest.

Milton Friedman believed in freedom - freedom to choose and freedom from government. The more we ask of government, the more it takes from us in the form of money and in the currency of liberty. In the end, the only ones who are empowered to be truly greedy are those who are empowered to deprive others of their freedom to choose another course of action.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Friedman/Chicago style-economics failed where ever it was applied. Is there a coincidence that wherever it was instituted was also governed by harsh despotic/fascist governments???

Chile, post-soviet Poland, post-soviet Russia, Argentina, etc.....

Anonymous said...

Hasn't Friedman been discredited by Economists?

Anonymous said...

Yeah that economic liberty sure worked well when private financial institutions were cooking up credit default swaps and private asset assessment firms were giving them AAA credit ratings.

How badly does supply side laissez-faire economics have to fail before Republicans will acknowledge that government oversight is necessary?

Anonymous said...

I hope that any list reader who has not read Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" do so. It tells the story of what happens to a society when government intervention and interference - regardless of the motive - becomes so oppressive that the private sector calls it quits.

Anonymous said...

Put Winter on the Scamera Artist Mug Shot Wall. His assistant lobbied for the cameras in Santa Fe. If you don't, you are not honest with your readers

Put Cadigan on the wall. His firm cashed checks from RedFlex. If the black eye does not report all info, people will stop reading it.

Anonymous said...

When someones self interest becomes that of the few instead of whats good for the majority then it is greed. When we do whats best for all is when we will know truly liberty and happiness.

Anonymous said...

There's talk that....they gotch'ya......

Anonymous said...

Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand's objectivism in general are the philosophical equivalent of Linus's security blanket. A bankrupt and demostrably failed philosophy that exists to assure post-adolescent manchildren that their selfishness is a virtue.

Anonymous said...

Get over the Winter Cadigan shit already.
Just like we have to get over all the corruption shit at City hall.
Go bite yourself, girly boy

Anonymous said...

The thoughts and prayers of MANY officers/sgts/Lt's go out to the immediate family members and friends of this tragic incident.