The Left is smitten, even in love with the word “greed,” but always directed toward Capitalists. They use it to smear the true meaning behind capitalism, which is in the service of others. If a Capitalist isn’t serving someone else’s needs, he isn’t going to sell products and will go broke.
If they don’t need what he has they go elsewhere. As opposed to Progressives who are greedy about obtaining Power.
So, we first set the stage:
Exchanges are mutually beneficial and voluntary: we exchange because we are able to supply our needs by serving the needs of others.
-Craig Smith (Adam Smith)
Prof. Boudreaux adds to that,
What could be more civilized, more humane, more sociable, more egalitarian? ‘We are able to supply our needs by serving the needs of others.’ This reality is at the heart of free markets.
And what do statists offer as an alternative? Answer: Coercion. Always coercion.
Which, as a precursor, always means striving to obtain power and then holding onto it. Which allows (the bold part below):
The recipe followed by statists of all ideological stripes is this: ‘We supply our needs by compelling others to do as we command – by threatening to cage them if they refuse our orders. Of course, we deploy our coercive threats for the greater good; by “our needs” we obviously mean the benefit of our fellow human beings, or at least our fellow citizens, including the benefit of those whom we coerce. Our intentions are soaring and lovely. And so if you oppose us, your intentions must be foul. It’s really quite simple.’
You can trust in the widespread use of coercion and its threat, or you can trust in mutual agreement and voluntary interactions, including (but not limited to) commercial exchange. If you think the person who gets to threaten you at gunpoint is more likely to take your interest into account than is the person who can gain your cooperation only by enticing you to agree with him or her, you are – let me describe you as nicely as possible – foolish.
Voluntary and consent or Coercion and Power? Jeanne Dietsch, in the area of Education, gained Power as a NH State Senator and then proceeded to take away any Freedom to CHoose in that area by Parents (as shown by her dismissive attitude toward them). “You WILL do as I say you will”; that was made clear.
Bruce? Always the Government is right. Always, the Collective must be uppermost. And WEAR YOUR MASKS!
