July 29, 2004
Quote of the Day
Robert LeFevre taught us that capitalism is simply the postponment of consumption today, so that resources may accumulate, allowing us to much greater things in the future.
I think he quoted von Mises, who pointed out that taking the time and making the effort to prepare a stick so that you can knock down fruit that's higher up on the tree, instead of simply plucking and eating the fruit you can reach by hand, is the fundamental act of capitalism.
That being the case, in any conflict that ever existed between capitalism and anything else, capitalism won several hundred years ago. The real struggle is whether we will practice private capitalism, or some other form that will seize your stick for the community, or "merely" license it, and either claim your future fruit production for "all mankind" or limit how much you can take at any given moment, idiotically "saving" it for future generations (by which time it shall have rotted or be eaten by birds).
Me, I'm a private capitalist, as much as I can be in this nation of fourflushers and cheeseheads.
Posted by Russell Whitaker at July 29, 2004 10:13 AM | TrackBackBut who are we to judge the use of the stick, when a bunch of shyster lawyers and tin soldier politicians can do it so much better?
I think capitalism is quickly on the way to being outlawed.
Posted by: Robert Humelbaugh on July 29, 2004 09:15 PM