I've been a libertarian since 1972 at least. I have nothing but admiration for Seeger. He was for average people not political theory. He wasn't perfect but as far as I can see he was a tireless champion of the underdog and average working class people. The man had a big heart and a nearly constant positive frame of mind. He is to be admired.
Neither communism nor the free market are perfect, they are both theories. I tend to believe the free market theory should predominate, but a pure free market would mean the same thing as pure communism, totalitarianism. Anyone who can think will understand that unrestrained power is evil.
Every day I work on people's homes. We discuss these kinds of things. When I'm talking to someone who is conservative and hates socialism I usually ask them if they think free market sewers are a good idea. Most have to think about it, but almost everyone except extremists understand that all economies are mixtures of free markets and socialism. Almost every one agrees that sewers are pretty essential in large cities. No one would like his neighbors effluent running into his family's property. When we prohibit one person from harming another that is known as a law.
When I talk to Liberals I usually disagree about public control of schools. I'm for public funding (vouchers) but not public administration, and I'm NOT for the blatantly unfair voucher systems that most Republicans put forth.
The question or the debate should not be about socialism or the free market, it should be about when and where socialism is essential as in sewers, or military or defense or even medical care...
vs.
when the free market should prevail, or be limited by trust busting, because monopolies, virtual monopolies and trusts are not free markets. They suppress invention.
If you are entirely on one side or the other my opinion is you cannot think clearly and see the liabilities of your own side.
And one last thing. Anyone who believes in the drug wars is essentially against the free market. Suppressing drugs, or as in prohibition, is a perfect example of why free markets are so effective. Constrain the supply and the price goes up. When the price goes up more people get into the business. The winners are those who reinvest in efficiency, in this case smuggling and efficiency of distribution. The drug wars also create huge and essentially useless bureaucracies both law enforcement, expensive courts, and prison systems all of which benefit from the continuation of the useless and money draining system.
I always find it curious that conservatives do not believe in their own theories when it is convenient. |
