CHINA has taunted the United States over the Texas winter storm blackout as a “failure of capitalism” that is affecting “desperate” Americans. An opinion piece in the English-language Chinese newspaper Global Times says a large number of Americans feel that the “current capitalist system” has “serious flaws” and “cannot help them with their concerns.”
Well guess what, capitalism is blameless
Recently mother nature sent a polar vortex down across the plains. In its wake were frozen the joints, valves, pipes, pumps, and everything else it could reach. It froze up the windmills and the gas lines. People, communities and states were not prepared.
They lacked mittens, long johns, cords of air-dried, split, and stacked oak… or the stoves to burn it in. Now people are bickering over what’s to blame. But we know one thing that is as innocent as new fallen snow; capitalism.
Capitalism is blameless because it is heartless, soulless, and doesn’t give a damn. It doesn’t care if the pipes freeze. It merely reacts to the pressures applied to it. Capitalism responds to laws, consumer choices, innovations, restrictions, regulations, plagues, and prices. It delivers, always, it delivers. Not necessarily what people want… but at least what they’ve got coming.
So, what’s the takeaway from this tale of woe?
Again, for the record capitalists are people trying to do honest, win-win deals with one another. They have nothing to do with the recent poor performance.
Perhaps a better takeaway is: People can’t depend on good weather. Or how about: People should not depend on institutions, private or public to function flawlessly.