I’ve long said that when discussing the merits of capitalism, we shouldn’t compare it to socialism, or fascism, or communism, etc. That’s not an accurate comparison, because the latter are all varying degrees/means of government intervention into the economy. True (free market) capitalism is the absence of government intervention into the economy. So the accurate comparison would be that of capitalism vs. all the rest (or, statism)…in other words, which is better? An economy suffering from government intervention, or an economy free of such intervention?
And further, everyone’s a capitalist, whether they call themselves one or not. Because we all find a way to create income for themselves—a job, or a business, or making/selling stuff, etc.—then we pay our bills and living expenses, purchase food/clothing/shelter, all that…and whatever is left—i.e., capital—we then spend however we choose. Whether it be putting it in savings, or buying a big-screen TV, or a vehicle, or saving for college, or starting a business, whatever. And that’s the true definition of capitalism: to earn more than we spend, and use the remaining capital as we choose.
So obviously, everyone’s a capitalist…assuming they’re allowed to be.
And that’s why I always say that capitalism isn’t some kind of socio-economic-political system, like any other form of statism. Rather, it’s a natural phenomenon, that happens when people are free to make their own choices and decisions. When a society is free of government intervention or coercion (i.e., a free and open market), and people are free to earn and spend their money (capital) as they see fit, then, as I like to say…
…capitalism happens.
That said, I also hold that it’s not only the best for society economically, but it’s also the only moral approach to society. Why? Because statism requires violence, or coercion under the threat of violence—taking money or property from the rightful owners, forcing some to comply with the will of others, forcing others to pay for what some want, etc,—all of which is immoral. Government is nothing short of institutionalized violence, and that violence is often perpetrated against innocent people. Or the minority. Or the unorthodox. Or dissenters. Or those who simply want to be free, to be left alone to live their lives as they choose.
And as true and self-evident as all of this is, I’ve never had much luck convincing others of it. But I tend to think in complex ways, and, as a (recovering) perfectionist, I suspect that I just make it sound way too complicated, as I tend to do with most of my endeavors. I work really hard at “keeping things simple, stupid”, but I have limited success at best.
So that’s why I wanted to share Tucker Carlson’s interview of then Argentinian presidential candidate Javier Milei—because somehow, he lays all this out in quite simple terms, which makes it all so easy to see and understand.
Javier Milei went on to win the election, and in just a few months has done remarkable things for Argentina’s economy—primarily by getting the government out of it.
In the interview, he goes on to say how we all have to fight, every day, against encroaching socialism—i.e., statism—because people who want to live at the expense of others never give up:
“Never embrace the ideals of socialism. Never allow yourselves to be seduced by the siren song of social justice. Don’t get caught up in that terrible concept that where there is a need, there is a right. But that can’t happen on its own. We have to be prepared for this, and wage a cultural war, every single day, and we have to be careful, because they have no problem with getting inside the State and employing Gramsci’s techniquesGramsci's Theory:
Antonio Gramsci is best known for his theory of cultural hegemony, which describes how the state and ruling class use cultural institutions to maintain power in societies. In Gramsci's view, the bourgeoisie develops a hegemonic culture using ideology rather than violence, economic force, or coercion.: seducing the artists, seducing the culture, seducing the media, or meddling in educational content. You need to be very careful, cut off their funding, and force them into a fair fight. At the same time, we need to raise awareness among the business sector, that the masses are necessary. Milton Friedman used to say that the social role of an entrepreneur is to make money. But that’s not enough. Part of their investment must include investing in those who defend the ideals of freedom, so the socialists can make no further advances. And if they don’t do it, they will get into the State, and use the State to impose a long-term agenda that will destroy everything it touches. So we need a commitment, from all of those who create wealth, to fight against socialism, to fight against statism, and to understand that if they fail to do so, the socialists will keep coming. Because what’s the point? Since they try to leech off others, without working, they are tireless in their pursuit. Their leitmotifLeitmotif: A dominant recurring theme. in life is to live off of others. So they will never give up on this mechanism to gain control of other’s wealth, money, or income. So this battle must be waged unceasingly. We cannot take a day off, because when we rest, socialism creeps in.”
In other words, evil never rests. Thus the words often attributed to Thomas Jefferson:
“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
A quote which many believe to be based on 18th-century Irish civil defense lawyer John Philpot Curran‘s statement:
“The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.”
Milei goes on to express that Donald Trump should continue to fight against socialism/statism (i.e., the deep state), and that climate change alarmism is part of the global socialist agenda (and that any true environmental issues would easily be resolved through free market capitalism), and that the climate change agenda also drives abortion advocacy, which he opposes, being a champion of all individual’s right to life, and that socialists believe that they are God—citing Nobel Prize in Economics winner F. A. Hayek‘s book The Fatal Conceit and his article The Use of Knowledge in Society—but finishing by essentially saying that socialists and politicians are actually the lowest among the populace.
Anyway, judge for yourself, as Javier Milei lays it all out very simply in this interview (unfortunately, I was unable to embed the video from the original interview on the Tucker Carlson Network site, but it was posted at Tucker on Twitter on Rumble, which enables embedding…and please note: Milei uses the term “liberalism” in the context of classical liberalism—aka libertarianism—not in the context of liberals vs. conservatives that the term has come to represent in the US today).
Worth a watch:
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