Wednesday, January 01, 2014

New Year's realization and vision


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Capitalism and self interest has done more to feed the poor than all the charity in the world. Do you think the man behind the meat counter is there to make sure you get pork chops for dinner? He is there because he gets paid so that he can feed his family.

"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher or the brewer or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest."

Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776)

Larry James said...

Anon 12:25, no one here is downplaying the value of work or the forces of capitalism. The problem that Mr. Smith does not address is the reality of systemic, economic injustice in an unchecked capitalist system. I could provide a long list of examples, beginning with fair wages and the real value of labor; but I doubt that would matter to you.

I will say if you are asking me and readers to choose between Adam Smith and Jesus and/or the Hebrew prophets, Mr. Smith doesn't even place.

Anonymous said...

I have never heard you extol the virtues of capitalism in spite of the fact that it has lifted more people out of poverty, made the USA the greatest country in the world and enabled us to give more to charity than any other country. As a country, we have given trillions to fight poverty in the last 50 years. As a matter of fact, CitySquare would not exist if it were not that people give.

The truth is, liberals always need victims so that they can promise them things in order to win elections. They don't give a hoot about them personally, they only find them a useful tool to win the next election. That's why Obama will continue his diatribe on income inequality when he gets back from his four million dollar vacation.