A market for respect,

Capitalism has many benefits. One of those many benefits is respect. Any nation that is a Capitalist nation has respect for private property rights; in turn its citizens respect each other. A good example is a restaurant owner who bans smoking from his restaurant; when he posts a sign that says "No Smoking", smokers respond by going to where they may smoke. So the smoker has freedom to choose to smoke elsewhere and the restaurant owner has the freedom to not allow smoking in his business. It is easy to see why Capitalism is the most moral of all economic systems.

The life source,

What is it exactly that keeps Capitalism alive? Money? People? Institutions? The answer is
none of the above. The thing that fuels Capitalism is ideas. Before Thomas Edison gave us the
light bulb, it was an idea in his mind. In the midst of the Great Depression, people with ideas thrived (Henry Ford). The unfortunate reality is that Socialist thinking minds (with no ideas) want the benefits created by the ideas of Capitalists. This is true despite the contempt that Socialists hold for Capitalists.

Truth is always with us,

People who keep track of the news a lot often don't realize that Capitalism's Truths never leave the news cycle. It's easy to spot whenever the topic has to do with economic matters, but is less obvious when it comes to issues like crime and the war in Iraq. When it comes to the issue of crime, Capitalism explains a lot: when you increase the cost of crime (this is done by punishing criminals) people commit less of it. When you lessen the cost of crime (this is done by lessening criminal punishment) people commit more of it. Keep that in mind during news coverage of the war on terror; do you want terrorists to commit more or fewer acts of terror? If you want fewer you now know how to make that happen.

Along comes Nathan,

"We do not hear the term "compassionate" applied to business executives or entrepreneurs, certainly not when they are engaged in their normal work. Yet in terms of results in the measurable form of jobs created, lives enriched, communities built, living standards raised, and poverty healed, a handful of capitalists has done infinitely more for mankind than all the self-serving politicians, academics, social workers, and religionists who march under the banner of "compassion". "- Nathaniel Branden


Nathaniel Branden

Understanding it all,

During war time we realize that America fights for freedom. It is doubtful that all Americans understand just what makes America glued to the idea of freedom. In a word, Capitalism. If dictatorships ruled the world, only people who believe in Capitalist ideas could save the world. No Capitalism=No Freedom
Know Capitalism= Know Freedom

Paying the cost,

As much as the anti-Capitalists frustrate me, I don't entirely blame them for their reasoning. Big government programs have been with us for so long that people can't help but to not understand Capitalism. With programs such as Social Security and Medicare, why should anyone save for their own retirement when taxpayers will pay the bill? Why should children prepare to take care of their elderly parents when the government will do it for them? Years of big government has many people thinking that the government should provide for the people and elected politicians are glad to see that.




"Vote for me, and get more welfare!"

Windfall profits,

While reading George Will's latest column, I learned a good definition of "windfall profit". George Will defined it this way :

windfall profit= a profit earned by someone else.



George Will

A great way to put it,

Economist Thomas Sowell uses a great sports analogy to explain Capitalism in his recent column:

"We are so much more rational about sports than we are about politics. No one considers it "unfair" that Tiger Woods does so much better than the average golfer, or resents him for it, or accuses him of "gouging" when he collects big bucks. "

Simple wisdom; something not popular or common these days.


Thomas Sowell

It's not going anywhere,

For those of you who hate Capitalism I have bad news. Capitalism is here to stay! Fascism, Nazism, Communism and terrorism have all tried to stop it; all have come up short. Capitalism is wired into the human spirit. It's what brought humans from a push plow to a John Deere tiller. It did away with the candle and brought the lightbulb, and that isn't even scratching the surface! After many successes in America have been wrought from Capitalism, I applaud people such as Wal Mart CEO's for keeping it going....even though Leftists despise such people.

'Pessimism kills the instinct that urges men to struggle against poverty, ignorance and crime, and dries up all the fountains of joy in the world.' -- Helen Keller




Hellen Keller

The things our fathers knew,

Past generations of Americans told us that "Communism is evil". They likewise told us "Capitalism is good". Right thinking Americans realize now that they were right. But without an internet, cable news network, or a conservative media how did our past generations understand those truths? They understood it because it was taught to them from a young age. Their parents taught them that living is a joy, but that joy comes with a price. To maintain your freedom you must not take it for granted; you must not trade it for security. Sure they could have been satisfied with moving across the northern border into Socialist Canada; instead they learned from their parents just how precious freedom really is. Our hats should be off to them.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day,

We've all heard the saying "even a broken clock is right twice a day". Robert Greenwald is a perfect illustration of that saying. He is the liberal filmmaker behind the new Wal-Mart documentary (or propaganda piece) titled: Wal-Mart..The High Cost of Low Price. Despite the anti-capitalist attitude this film provides, the title is somewhat refreshing to hear; especially from a liberal filmmaker. I of course don't agree with Mr. Greenwald's premise that Wal-Mart is evil. But it is about time a liberal understood that cost does not equal price. High gas prices does not necessarily mean the cost of gas is high. The title of Robert Greenwald's film shows that liberals agree with free markets more than they realize. I suggest you email him at, robert@robertgreenwald.org and tell him to read my post.

Robert Greenwald

Another truth about taxes,

Earlier today on The Rush Limbaugh Program, Walter Williams explained something about taxes. He said that no matter what kind of tax system a country has, the most important thing is federal spending. Dr. Williams is exactly right because no matter how fair a tax system becomes, it doesn't help if the politicians unfairly waste taxpayer money on junk. A good example is in West Virginia where the government has built a parking garage named after Senator Robert Byrd. Yes, taxpayers have to pay for that garage.

Don't quash freedom,

Recent talk at the United Nations concerns the future of the internet. The UN wants an international government to regulate the internet. This of course would be an alternative to the free trade of information that we now enjoy on the internet. Here is what you need to know about the UN's plan: it is an attack on Capitalism. Remember, Capitalism's soul is freedom. Money is not the most important thing to Capitalism; freedom is. Money after all is created by the working of ideas. Ideas are created by the freedom of thought. Don't let the UN steal your freedom!

Profit is a good thing,

Today people have a hard time with any company earning high profits. Such words as "greedy" and "immoral" are used to describe companies that earn high profits. What is often overlooked is why profits are sometimes high. When a company's profits are high, that is a signal that somewhere in the economy consumers are being underserved. As a result competitors enter the market and consumers find their needs being met. Without a company earning high profits, there would be no incentive for competitors to enter the market and consumers would not have their needs met. Remember this when politicians bark about "excessive profits".

A fellow Capitalist,

A reader responded to my last post. It seems to me that he is a fellow Capitalist. His name is Sam Basso. His homepage is Pooch Master . Pay him a visit and thank him for standing up for Capitalism!

Here's his remarks:
"I salute the rise of the Blog World. It will allow people like us to counter the collectivist tendencies of today's media."

A market of ideas,

Today's media is unlike the media of yesterday. Today people have more choices of where they get their news than past generations of Americans had. Blogs like this one, cable news, and talk radio are major venues of media today. They also are largely conservative. The reason of course is supply and demand. Most Americans live their lives in a conservative fashion regardless of how they think politically. Hence the rise of today's new conservative media.

Rush knows,

Rush Limbaugh made a good point on his show yesterday. He explained the myth of oil companies engaged in "price gouging". He said that the policy of our government is to reduce domestic drilling and drive up the cost of energy. The government is responsible for the ever increasing price of our gas, not the oil companies. It's just common sense but a lot of people fail to realize it.



Rush Limbaugh

A sad misunderstanding,

On the radio this morning I heard a man refer to Wal-Mart as a "bomb" that comes into small town America and destroys all the small businesses. That is so far off base it is really not worth mentioning, but I thought it would help me make a point. In order to progress our standard of living the free market throws away anything that doesn't satisfy the consumers. (the consumers are me and you) It does so through competition. If any business isn't fit to compete in the free market, then it isn't fit to advance our standard of living. In that light, it is difficult to see why any thriving business is hated by people who benefit from it.

Inexpensive yet costly,

Even if you can purchase something at a cheap price, you still may pay a huge cost for it. A good example would be illegal labor from Mexico. Some Americans see it as a good thing to have Mexicans work for cheap wages to build houses. They reason that since the Mexicans work for small wages, the houses will cost less. As far as price goes that may be true. But cost includes more than prices; in this case it includes longer waiting lines in doctors offices, higher taxes to supply health care to illegals, and any crime that illegals may bring here with them. That's an expensive cheap house.

The original Marshall plan,

With all the news media focused on the next appointed Supreme Court Justice, i felt it appropriate to show what the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had to say about taxes:


"The power to tax involves the power to destroy." -- Chief Justice John Marshall, McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819

Destroy what? Initiative, freedom, productivity, and creativity. Do you really want to live in such a place? Another reason to keep Washington out of your wallet. You tell em' Justice Marshall!


John Marshall

A stark difference,

I want to ask you two questions. (1) How do businesses like Sears and Wal-Mart take dollars from us? (2) How does the government take dollars from us?

Private businesses like Sears and Wal-Mart get our money only when they please us. The government takes our money without us having a say in the matter. Which do you prefer?

America's Armey,

Dick Armey said it best:

"The market is rational and the government is stupid"

That is very simple. Simple Capitalism, it's not as hard to understand as you thought.



Dick Armey

For those who hate poverty,

Every time a nation has risen out of poverty, it did so through the power of thinking minds; not government. No nation has ever taxed itself into prosperity. Liberal programs like LBJ's war on poverty did nothing but create more poverty. Since government has proven itself unfit to win the war on poverty, why should we ever look to the government for any financial help? If you like being in poverty, thank a liberal.


LBJ, what was your exit strategy for the war on poverty?

Oh, the possibilities,

Possibilities are what make Capitalism great. Sure there are rich people who are better off than others, but if someone uses their imagination and effort they can become rich too. (In a Capitalist society) Not so under Communism and Socialism. Under those forms of government everyone is equal. Equally miserable that is.

The uncaring masses,

A large number of people today are critical of gas companies making record profits. However gas companies at one time were struggling to make ends meet. During that time nobody cared about the financial struggles of the gas companies. But now that gas companies are making money, people find fault with that. Go figure.

Capitalism's Truths,

I will continue with this blog; it is something I enjoy. However I could use some help and would like to invite a volunteer to email me at clydewilliam2002@yahoo.com You must be a firm believer in Capitalism. I could also use some help in giving this blog a new kick ass way of looking.

Marxism is tired,

I took a few minutes over the weekend to look at the Millions More Movement on C-SPAN. I noticed a lot of anger among the speakers there. They seemed to spew Marxist, Communist, and Socialist ideas as if they were the salvation of man. One labor union leader by the name of Chris Silvera praised the labor unions for such things as vacations, minimum wage, Etc. But the worst part was at the end of his speech; Silvera along with some of his pro-labor pals gave a shout of "power to the working class!!".Somebody please tell him Marxism is tired.


Chris Silvera

Ask yourself this,

People who despise Capitalism, don't understand what is wrong with big government. To answer this question for yourself just ask: "Who knows more about how to take care of myself, me or my government?" Simple, huh?

Why does it have to be?

Some of you have left some very kind comments on my blog. I thank you all; it's not that I'm any smarter than the next guy, I just choose to think rationally on economic matters. Capitalism's Truths are real simple: everything has a cost, cost is more than price, Socialism is a proven failure..Etc. The question you should ask yourself and others is: Why isn't everyone in the media teaching these principles since they are just common sense?

The People's Economist breaks it down,

While browsing Walter Williams' website, I came across a paragraph that really makes Capitalism simple. Here it is:

"But how do people earn money in a free society? Let's take the extreme example of billionaire Bill Gates, founder of Micro-Soft. There is no evidence that Gates enslaved or robbed anyone. There's a lot of evidence that millions of common people like you and me voluntarily gave him money for software programs that make life easier and more pleasurable like Windows, DOS and other products. Gates served us well and he's rich because millions upon millions of independent decision makers agreed his products were superior to the next best alternative."

Nuff' said!


Walter E. Williams

We could not ask for more,

A lot of the anti-Capitalists preach about the greedy rich and how they need to pay their fair share of taxes. But what if the rich already have given us more than we deserved? For example, the creator of heart medications has already given us a life saving drug; would it not be selfish to tell him "that's not enough, we want some of your money too."? Bill Gates helped us a lot by moving us out of the old 1980's computer systems and into more efficient systems. So maybe we ought to consider just how much the rich have already given us. By the way, shouldn't we owe them a thank you?

Wisdom of the ages,

Most Capitalist ideas are just common sense. Common sense that has been around for quite a long time. Take a look at this ancient African proverb:

"He who is carried on another's back does not appreciate how far off the town is."

That's a good lesson in economics. When a person isn't paying their own way, they fail to see the world as a rational mind would see it. Why should they consider the consequences of their actions when someone else will suffer the consequences for them? One of the many down sides to government hand outs.


When it comes to our out of control tax system the late Bob Hope said it best:

"I have the perfect simplified tax form for government. Why don't they just print our money with a return address on it?"

That's a man that had a proper view of government and its side effects.

Bob Hope

Looks can be deceiving,

The entitlement mentality has been common in America for a long time. People feel entitled to health care, housing,...Etc. (some even feel entitled to cell phone services!) I've often mentioned on this blog how FDR's New Deal set into motion the welfare state we now have. But in my opinion the single most responsible thing for the entitlement mentality, is the illusion of free. Many people don't consider that every product and service has a cost to be paid. If free health care was truly "free", I would be all for it. But it's not free at all. Not when we as tax payers are paying the tab for others. Others who sometimes cheat the system to get unneeded health services.

Save Us Joe Louis........

Joe Louis was an excellent example of someone who understood Capitalism and Freedom. Being a black American born and raised in Alabamba, he overcame racial prejudice to become world boxing champion. Louis's life is also a good illustration of why big government is a flop. Louis was often critical of FDR's New Deal big government programs. As a result of his hard work, and belief in the human spirit, Louis was loved everywhere; even in the South. Sadly he was taxed heavily by the IRS to the point of becoming broke; once the New Deal came along, people like Louis had to foot the bill for the "less fortunate".

In Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King, King has this extraordinary passage:

"More than 25 years ago, on of the southern states adopted a new method of capital punishment. Poison gas supplanted the gallows. In its earliest stages a microphone was placed inside the sealed death chamber so that scientific observers might hear the words of the dying prisoner to judge how the victim reacted in this novel situation. The first victim was a young Negro. As the pellet dropped into the container, and the gas curled upward, through the microphone came these words. "Save me Joe Louis. Save me Joe Louis. Save me Joe Louis."
(courtesy of http://www.edgeofsports.com/ )

Rights (and wrongs),

Today we have a lot of people who don't produce anything, while they demand the right to have what others produce. Such people don't recognize private property rights. Not a favorite term these days. Everyone benefits from private property rights even those who don't own property. American farmers supply grocery stores with fresh food at affordable prices because they can make money from their property. As a result the poor aren't lowered to dumpster diving to find affordable food. In the Soviet Union there was a lot of fertile land for food to grow, yet people starved. That's called Communism.

In short,

To whittle down the character of a Capitalist to a bumper sticker slogan, read the following quote from Martin Luther King Jr.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

If only such wisdom was common among people today. Unfortunately we've been taught to look to the government to meet our needs in challenging times. We sure could use another Dr. King today, to possibly wake us up to reality.


Martin Luther King Jr.

Suggested reading,

If you have a passion for Capitalism's Truths, then read Ayn Rand's Anthem; (if you haven't already) I just got around to reading it and like most of Ayn Rand's work it makes a good case for Capitalism. It concerns a young man who dares to be an individual in a world that demands communist-like behavior and sameness among people. That young man is the hero of the story and shines brightly by being a living example of what untapped human potential can do. I liked Anthem and feel strongly that you will too.

Taking the blinders off,

Many Americans (unfortunately) have their blinders on when it comes to looking at how we should treat the recent victims of hurricane Katrina. Many Americans feel that the government should make them whole; meaning the government ought to restore all people to their original condition before the disaster. Why do Americans believe such things? In short, because those same Americans don't believe in individual effort and its power. Life guarantees nothing; the only true dependence comes from within a person. Capitalism recognizes this fact; Capitalism takes the blinders off of people.

The Capitalists of today,

Most of us are uncomfortable with change. Ask someone who's been through a divorce, or the loss of a job. This human instinct is what makes many people cringe when they hear of "jobs going overseas". But in order to advance our standard of living changes such as elimination of some jobs, substitution of resources, or a different way of doing things is necessary. That's why Capitalism is the best economic system around. Unlike other systems, Capitalism welcomes and embraces change; the Capitalists of today are glad to lead us into tomorrow.

Something to consider,

When you hear a person speak of their need of health care, you need to consider something. That person's need is health care, someone else's need is an automobile, someone else's need is food on the table ..Etc. Etc.
The problem with socialism is that one person's need becomes everyone's responsibility. We Capitalists know that when a person is forced to perform on their own abilities they supply their own needs better than the government can. That may mean depending on private citizens like friends and family for a period of time.

The million dollar question,

While listening to Tom Sullivan's show on KFBK yesterday I heard Tom ask an excellent question. He was telling of how the way to end poverty involves the private sector not government; he pointed out that we know the government does a lousy job so the question is, "do we want to expand something that does a lousy job?" That is something we should all ask ourselves now that politicians are trying to expand the government in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Tom Sullivan's question is a very important one. Our answer to it is even more important.


Tom Sullivan

Just imagine,

I've found it helps people understand economics when you use situations that do not involve politics to explain it. Can you imagine if the only people we had available as lovers were people that required lots of money and attention? People would date less often. Imagine if singers had to pay a ridiculous amount of money whenever they got on stage. We would fail to have the music that we listen to. The Capitalist way is to create opportunity, create fortune, create optimism, and to create your own success. When taxes are raised, such things are squashed. Then everyone suffers.

Today's problem,

It has been said in nearly every way possible that today people are too dependent on the government to fulfill their needs. But today it is no longer a left wing or liberal behavior. Today's conservatives have become very contented with government aid being given to people. A person's political stripe doesn't have as much to do with their behavior as their basic beliefs about life do. That's why conservatives and liberals today aren't willing to eliminate government welfare programs; they both want voters to see them as "compassionate". They believe that life itself is about helping one another unselfishly so that we can have a perfect world. What today's people need to learn is that we will never have a perfect world, but we can have a great one if we trust nature over the ideas of intellectuals.

A sign of the times,

Regular readers of my blog (if there is such a thing) may grow weary of how I continue to talk about FDR's New Deal and how it is responsible for today's entitlement mentality. But what happened recently in New Orleans really makes that clear. During the Great Depression many men, women, and children had to go for long periods of time with no money, food, or shelter. But those people didn't shoot at government officials with guns, or rape innocent women. A lot of that went on in New Orleans. People began to demand that their needs be met "or else"; thus looting, robbing, and raping went on. Those events are the first time Americans have reacted to hardship in that manner. It started with FDR's New Deal and every president since has not totally removed the government from taking care of people's needs for them. Just like FDR gave in to the peoples cries in the wake of the Great Depression, George Bush has promised government aid in order to satisfy Americans who experienced hardship. As long as such promises are made, we can expect to see people's behavior to reach new levels of lunacy to get what they feel they are "entitled" to.

Not a Capitalist decision,

Last night's speech by our president fell short of advancing Capitalist ideas. He not only promised to increase government spending to rebuild New Orleans, but also said that current poverty in New Orleans is due to "racism". Anyone who knows enough about economics to fit on the edge of a dime knows that nearly every time poverty stays in a given area for a long period of time the government is often to blame. So if the government created poverty in New Orleans, why then turn to it for the solution? President Bush seems to have pulled a page out of FDR's New Deal policy book.


President George W. Bush

The sins of our fathers,

Past generations of Americans gave us the idea that our government should take care of us. The Constitution of course makes it clear that the government's role is not to provide for the people, but to give people the freedom to provide for themselves. During the Great Depression many Americans gave up on Capitalism. They begged the government to intervene in their lives for security. They traded freedom for security. Still today we are stuck with the same government system. Someone once said "anyone who trades freedom for security deserves neither". That is what we are looking at today.

Race is a non issue in the 21st Century,

Racism as we know it would end tomorrow if free market Capitalism was allowed to take over our economy 100%. Race itself isn't important when it comes to productivity. Whether you work for someone or own your own business, productivity is what creates your wealth. That's why today Americans of every stripe who bring themselves out of poverty inspire us; they help us to see that no matter how we came into this world we are all capable of great things. Today's Democrat Party puts emphasis on grouping people. (black, white, straight, gay, male, female..Etc) Conservatives on the other hand believe in individual freedom; it is individual productivity that drives America not social classes. Thus issues such as race are non issues in the 21st Century. Read David Limbaugh's piece to learn more.

Give a man enough rope,

Most of you are familiar with the saying "give a man enough rope and he will hang himself". Thats exactly what is happening to today's anti-capitalists. A good example just happened in my home state of Tennessee. The Tenncare Program was recently cancelled (Tenncare was medical care for the poor at the expense of Tennessee taxpayers) after the governor and the people of Tennessee realized the cost of socialized medicine was too much. Now before the governor reached that conclusion he proposed huge cuts in the program to save it, but the Tenncare advocates drove a hard bargain and refused any cuts to the program. So as a result those advocates now have no Tenncare. So the greed of the anti-capitalists is what led to their loss. Had they been willing to accept some of the governor's cuts they could still have their program; by being too greedy with taxpayers money they suffered the consequences. Give a man enough rope and he will hang himself.

A moral case for Capitalism,

In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, it is easy to see why depending on the government for help is not a good idea. That's not only true in times of need, but also true in daily decision making. The free market is not a person and therefore not against anyone except someone not willing to work hard. The reason you allow the free market to set price for something is because supply and demand help the greatest number of people possible given the current situation. When government steps in to help you have a lot of things in the mix......political favors for some people, shortages, and loss of liberty. As a result many people and their ideas suffer once the government invades Capitalism. Is that where we want to be?

Anti-Capitalist looters are not new,

America is once again seeing the animal like behavior of looters (in Louisiana); the last time America saw such a thing in the media was during the Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict. Capitalists know that such behavior is wrong, but we also realize that "looters" include more than participants in a city riot. Ayn Rand noted all believers in anti-Capitalist ideas as looters. In her famous book Atlas Shrugged, the bad guys who seek to kill individualism are often identified as looters. All people who believe a strong government leads to prosperity are looters. They loot from ordinary people who believe the human spirit is the strongest helper man has. Ordinary people are what makes the world go 'round...(until the government comes and steals their wealth.)

Not so fast Reverend Jackson...

I am willing to deviate from my original purposes of starting a blog. I started Capitalism's Truths to teach Capitalism and teach it in a very fun manner. Capitalism isn't political any more than hard work and a paycheck are political, but in the wake of hurricane Katrina people like Rev. Jesse Jackson are exploiting poor people to advance their own personal anti-capitalist agenda. I don't have the power of a nation wide printing press, but damn if I'm going to let no-good- intentioned people put their ideas forth with no challenge. Look at this quote from the Rev.:

"Many black people feel that their race, their property conditions and their voting patterns have been a factor in the response....I'm not saying that myself, but what's self-evident is that you have many poor people without a way out." -- Rev. Jesse Jackson (from Michael Moore's website)

First of all, (Sharpton's favorite opening phrase) people like Rev. Jackson have for years stood for taking private property away from citizens who are "undeserving"(rich) and giving it to people "deserving"(poor). And he insults poor people by saying they haven't a "way out"; if there is a tiny fraction of truth in that statement, it is because of the Jesse Jackson's of the world that poverty is glorified in urban America today. No Jesse, you won't get away with your lies in my territory.



Jesse Jackson

My kind of Capitalist

(courtesy of Glenn Beck.com )

No post today....this picture is worth 1,000 words! My kind of Capitalist!

Who's being taken advantage of?

Every time a natural disaster occurs we hear of "price gouging" going on. Are companies really taking advantage of people after natural disasters through "price gouging"? The mainstream media is actually taking advantage by using such an event to further its anti-Capitalist agenda. What they call "price gouging" is simply the free market doing its thing. When demand increases so does price, and for good reason; if the price stays the same or is kept low by the government a shortage will occur. That means instead of expensive food, and gas the locals will have no food or gas. Which is better for the locals?

Miracles happen every day,

When Capitalism is put in place; miracles occur every day. Americans see such miracles so often they usually don't notice them. When you go to the mall you may not stop to think how everything there (the floor, the buildings, the fountains, the plants..Etc. Etc.) had to be created. But why would anyone create those things? For profit. Take away profit and you take away such beauties as shopping malls, theme parks, movies, books, cars, and airports. Not to mention necessities like hospitals, dentist offices, and private universities. To make it simple think of Capitalism as the bean in the old story "Jack and the Bean Stalk" that grew a vine into heaven. The only limits to Capitalism's growth are the limits that humans put on themselves.

Neal's real,

The following is an article by Neal Boortz:


Gas is pretty expensive right now, and while not yet a record, it's getting up there. So the politicians in the state of Hawaii have hatched a plan. What better way to deal with rising gas prices than government-implemented price controls? Everybody wins, right? The politicians win because they get to enjoy the added popularity their forced price discounts impose and consumers win because gas will be cheaper. What's not to like? Well, there's only one problem with price controls: They never work. First, a little economics lesson for the government-educated among us. Prices are set by market forces. Yup...good 'ole supply and demand. If there is greater demand for something than supply, prices will go up. Every time, without exception. Everybody in the supply chain has a cost. Along comes a politician, wanting to distort those market forces and implement a little communism. So Mr. Politician sets a price control. What suffers? The first thing that always suffers during price controls...supply. And it's already happening in Hawaii as a result of this stupid plan. Beginning September 1, gas wholesalers won't be able to charge more than $2.74 a gallon. But what happens when the market price goes above that and nobody involved is making any profit? No more gasoline. There are two refineries in Hawaii owned by two different oil companies. One of them already says it may need to close one of those refineries. So which would be better? No gas at all or plentiful gas at the going market rate? Only one is going to make your car go. But no matter...our government schools have done a good job educating the masses on the subject. Check out this quote from the AP story on Hawaiian price controls...a 25-year-old student: "The gas prices that are continuing to go up — how am I supposed to afford it?" Well, he won't have to worry about that...because there won't be any gas to buy. Capitalism: it works every time it's tried.



Neal Boortz

It doesn't get any better than this,

In America we have a demand economy that is rooted in free market Capitalism. There are so many examples to illustrate this that I could spend all day typing them. But one lesson all folks need to know is just how miraculous free market economies are. Since the free market is full of competitors, they are always looking for a cheaper and quicker way to provide their good or service. When this happens everybody benefits.....and they often benefit pretty darn quick. The very minute one competitor lowers its price one of its competitors will follow suit. And so on and so on throughout that industry's market. Prices drop quickly and often whenever the free market is allowed to do its thing apart from government control.

Standard of living,

We hear a lot about "the standard of living" and how it is so blessed in America, but we often don't stop to think about why that is. In a word: Capitalism. The goal of all people who willingly live in a Capitalist society is to advance the standard of living. You can't do that and continue to do things the same way time after time. Changing may mean having some jobs replaced by robots and other machines; change can also mean having some jobs in America replaced by workers in foreign countries. But if such things make products cheaper for consumers, then everyone benefits. A rising tide lifts all boats.

O ye of little faith,

Some people who champion Capitalism and its Truths waiver in their faith. Usually such people are politicians who give lip service to Capitalism but fail to support it when the heat gets turned up. They won't dare say anything that can cost them support; they won't make a pro-Capitalist statement if they fear it may cost them votes. Especially when it comes to helping the less fortunate; politicians of every stripe doubt the power of the human spirit. Capitalism supports the human spirit, it beleives in it; every time a seemingly hopeless situation emerges in the world it is the power of a free mind that provides an answer. There is no need for government dollars to support any cause that is better provided by an individuals' own strength.(with the exception of national defense, the individual is almost always a better creator than the government) Fredrick Douglas said it best:

" Do nothing with us! If the apples will not remain on the tree of their own strength, if they are worm-eaten at the core, if they are early ripe and disposed to fall, let them fall!"


If you don't have faith in yourself to be productive without government assistance, then you probably won't be much better off with it; o ye of little faith.



Fredrick Douglas

Squashing freedom,

Is it possible to be a Capitalist and oppose freedom? The obvious answer is no, but even among conservative politicians in America there is a misunderstanding of what freedom really means; at least as far as economic matters go. You can't build any building for a business today without making it "handicapped accessible" along with countless other government regulations. That of course takes away the freedom of the business owner, but what most people don't realize is that the "handicapped" lose their freedom also because of the "handicapped accessible" regulations. By agreeing to such practices, the handicapped in America will be viewed as helpless as far as the government is concerned. So you can use your own imagination to discover that the government's next move is to get more control over the handicapped individuals' lives; as far as the government is concerned the handicapped couldn't function otherwise. It's what one famous author called "The Road to Serfdom".

Monopolies and government,

Whenever you hear the anti-Capitalists speak of monopolies and the problems they cause they are often speaking of private industry. But the only oppressive monopolies that have existed in the history of Capitalist countries are government monopolies. You can't compete against the government for one reason; it's illegal to do so. State lotteries are a good example; in my home state of Tennessee I can play the Tennessee Lottery but I can't start my own numbers racket lottery (in Tennessee) because I would be breaking the law. Isn't it interesting that big government liberals in America oppose monopolies, while the government is the most oppressive monopoly in America?

The wonder of supply and demand,

While discussing the Fair Tax plan with my local talk show host Phil Valentine , he told me that he is not so sure that once we get rid of the IRS and its heavy taxation that prices will naturally drop once we tack on the extra 23% sales tax that the Fair Tax calls for. I would suggest to Phil that the law of supply and demand works every time it's tried. Supply and demand is what keeps the market in check even when greedy business owners try to shaft the consumers. Once one business drops its prices to gain a competitive advantage, other businesses follow suit in order to compete. I guess you could say such behavior is what Adam Smith called the "invisible hand" of Capitalism.

True value,

Capitalism recognizes true value, not what is perceived as value. Some people may have to work at Mcdonald's until they get a better job; in such a situation working at Mcdonald's can be a Godsend. People who grow up in poverty learn to appreciate things like shoes on their feet, and a clunker of a car to drive. In that light experiencing poverty can be a blessing to a person as they age and earn more wealth. George Jones and Tammy Wynette said it best in a song titled Golden Ring:

"Golden ring with one tiny little stone.
Waiting there for someone to take it home.
By itself it's just a cold metallic thing.
Only love can make a golden wedding ring."

Simple Capitalism,

I enjoy making Capitalism easy to understand. That's what inspired me to create this blog to begin with. So to give you a super simple definition of Capitalism: Capitalism is when a person gives the best of what they got to another person in order to receive that person's best. For example if I needed money in an emergency situation, I would trade something valuable to me (my car, computer, etc..) to receive someone else's money. (which they created by giving their best to someone) That's why government welfare is immoral. When a person trades their welfare money for something they aren't giving up anything that represents their best efforts; they are giving up money that the government gave to them after taking it from someone else.

A lesson from my youth,

As a child I loved playing video games. Ever so often my brother and I would beg our parents for a new game. I remember one store that put on a sale for a video game system that included a free game when you bought it. However the store charged you an extra $50 when you bought the system with a free game! So you can see that the word free was just a sales ploy. If you can understand such a ploy then you should also see the failure of Socialism. Socialism promises free health care along with other supposedly free government services. But like the store I mentioned, Socialist governments simply make you pay for every service they provide somehow. Don't forget that cost means more than a sales price.

Getting to know freedom,

I suggest you read the following article titled The Price of Freedom. I don't have a lot of time today to give a daily lesson, but if you like my easy to understand way of breaking Capitalism's Truths down to plain English, then you'll enjoy this article.

The reality of taxes,

Why do Capitalists like myself preach against heavy taxation? Because taxation destroys a person's incentive to create. The more you tax a person, the less incentive that person has to create anything. Therefore people create less wealth, less jobs, and less products that people want. When that happens the standard of living for everyone is kept from growing. Tax cuts and tax increases will affect everyone; tax cuts help everyone, and tax increases hurt everyone.

What you need to know about the Fair Tax,

Listening a lot to Neal Boortz as he talks of his Fair Tax idea, I've noticed a common question that skeptics of the plan have. It seems that most people don't understand "embedded cost".
What that term means is the cost added to something because of business taxes. When Colgate makes toothpaste they have to pay all sorts of taxes before the tube makes it to a grocery store shelf. So when the tube gets to the store shelf Colgate has to increase the cost of the toothpaste to make up for the money they lost paying taxes. The average embedded cost of any product we buy today (anything from a Big Mac to a new car) is somewhere between 23 to 27%. The Fair Tax will eliminate that embedded cost and replace it with a 23% sales tax which keeps the average retail price of anything unchanged. Things will however be less expensive to everyone because everyone will keep 100% of their paycheck! And you thought Fair Tax was an oxymoron!


Neal Boortz

And you thought it could never happen,

This is our chance fellow Capitalists.....we can get rid of the pesky IRS! Check out
Fairtax.org and learn about the Fair Tax bill that is now in Congress. If it passes bye bye IRS! It can't pass without our help, so everyone do your part in organizing so that the Fair Tax succeeds!

The best deal in town,

With all the fuss about high gas prices people are becoming blind to the truth. Let's say on average gas is $3.00 a gallon. High price? Actually such a price is probably the best deal in all of America! Not convinced? Consider that 1 gallon of gasoline will get you an average of 20 miles; to be able to travel 20 miles with air conditioning and radio for only $3.00 is one heck of a deal. Remember a while back folks had to travel on horseback wherever they went, and in a lot of cases by their own two feet. But I'm not naive about this: I don't expect ungrateful people to stop their fussing no more than I expect money to grow on trees.

Atta boy Tony Blankley,

On a recent California radio show conservative columnist Tony Blankley argued against two other liberal guests about Capitalism. The liberal guests argued against US trade with China because of "slave labor" being used in China. Mr. Blankley pointed out (correctly) that if the US didn't offer the people of China US money for their produced goods then the Chinese would be in "perpetual poverty". I wonder if Mr. Blankley has been reading my blog?




Tony Blankley

Dr. Williams teaches Capitalism 101,

Today on the Rush Limbaugh Show Dr. Walter E. Williams filled in. He (like always) did a good job of making Capitalism understandable to the masses. One of his many points was the issue of free trade. He explained how allowing a person in the United States to purchase products from China was no different than allowing a person in Tennessee to purchase products from Florida. The factor shared in both examples is the individual. All free trade does is allow individuals in one location to have the freedom to purchase from (trade) individuals in another location. Now some people may think that trading with China is bad because child labor is used by China to make a lot of the products we buy. That may be so, but what hope would such children in China have if we didn't offer our money to them for their products? You can see that when you focus on the individual when discussing Capitalism, things become a lot simpler to understand.


Walter E. Williams

CAFTA a win for Capitalism,

CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) is a win for believers in Capitalism. Some people who don't understand how free trade works blast CAFTA for "taking away American jobs". Once you understand free trade, you see that claim as hogwash. If Costa Rica is free to send it's sugar to America to compete with America's sugar industry, then they (Costa Rica) will make money from their sugar supply. That will in turn create more wealth for Costa Ricans and therefore more freedom. Same will hold true for all Central Americans; there has never been a single case in all of this world's history where more freedom and prosperity turned out to be a bad thing.

Defeating the anti-Capitalists,

Everyone knows (or should know) that Capitalism= Freedom. When people are given freedom you can trust them to do what is in their best interest. So what people need to learn from this is that Capitalism can save us from many unnecessary wars. For instance, if the United States were to eliminate taxes for all corporations, many foreign corporations would outsource to the United States. So when these foreign countries realize that all their businesses are being outsourced to the United States they will be forced to also eliminate corporate taxes in order to compete with the United States. As a result more countries will give freedom to their people. Capitalism is contagious!!

Capitalists vs. The Elites,

Elites despise free trade. To them corporations and governments are the only important factors in free trade. Capitalists see ordinary individuals as the most important factor in any economy. For example, when you buy a car in America that is made in Japan you are exercising your freedom. Free trade is just that:people being free to make their own economic transactions with whomever they choose. If you say no to free trade, then you say no to ordinary individuals who want the freedom to deal with their fellow man. But to the elites only corporations benefit from free trade. To them corporation means greedy rich people; elites look down on normal citizens. What the elites forget is that normal citizens decide what businesses succeed and what businesses fail.

Thank God for believers,

It may come as a shock to some of you, that I haven't always been a believer in Capitalism. That's right at one time I was a modern day liberal. It wasn't until I came to the realization that we are all responsible for our own fate, that I began to see Capitalism's Truths. If it wasn't for people like Rush Limbaugh and the crew at Fox News I would never have heard the message of Capitalism being given a fair shake. Fox News isn't a venue of media that preaches Capitalism but it did provide an alternative outlet to the anti-Capitalist mainstream media. Thanks to them(Fox News and Rush Limbaugh) I was able to see that American Capitalism gives everyone a chance (even me) to create their own future. Thank God for believers of Capitalism!


"Last night I came home again.
Three sheets to the wind.
I broke the promise swore I'd never break.
And it came as no surprise,
To see the hurt in her eyes, or the Bible on the table where she prayed.
This time I thought for sure that she was good as gone. But she just wiped her tears away, and put some coffee on.

And I don't know why she even hangs around.
After all the hell I've put her through and the times I've let her down.
She has more faith in me than anyone has ever found.
Heaven knows how much I need her, thank God for believers."

-"Thank God for Believers" by Mark Chesnutt

Cheering for failure,

Civil rights leaders are hardly what their title indicates. Instead of leading disadvantaged people into a better life; they often try to hold them back (disadvantaged people) in order to further their personal political agenda. What they say are "civil rights" issues often are economical issues. For instance the idea of teaching "bilingual" education in America; Americans can only benefit the most economically when they learn to speak English. But so-called leaders get huge contributions from groups who will gain jobs from "bilingual" education. So the leaders are willing to hold back progress for the disadvantaged (by not teaching them English) to line their own pockets with contribution dollars. Even in Capitalist countries like America, we Capitalists have to be willing to see such nonsense for what it is. For more on the subject read Linda Chavez's column: "Viva Bilingual Education? "


Linda Chavez

The aftermath of government,

If you'll take a hard look at a country where the government is involved in the economy, (every socialist country) you'll discover why socialism is unhealthy. One of the first things you'll notice is that nearly every industry there is inferior to the same industries in Capitalist countries. You'll also notice that natives of that country do well economically once they move to a Capitalist country like the United States; often they become more productive in the Untied States than natural born Americans. (and likewise have more money than natural born Americans) The human spirit always has and still does long for freedom to progress; so-called "progressive" ideas such as Socialism only hinder progress.

Investing and returns,

Too many people limit their knowledge of Capitalism to money matters. Investing for instance, often involves much more than money. Parents who invest a lot of their time into being a good parent will one day be rewarded by seeing their children become successful adults. A person who extends friendship to a large network of people will one day benefit from having a support system during times of trouble. No money is needed for investing; just creativity. But don't forget only under the freedom of Capitalism can creativity flourish.

Employment as we know it,

Today being employed doesn't seem to resemble what it used to. At one time in America any job was a good job; pay wasn't the deciding factor on whether or not someone took a job. One of my co-workers who is 75+ years old shared with me that his first job was chopping wood from morning to night 7 days a week! That wasn't all...he was only 11 years old and worked for an average of 15 cents a day! Today that kind of job would be called child abuse or some such thing. But unlike victims of child abuse, my coworker remains very glad for his strong work ethic he was able to develop at a young age. That's the kind of beauty that is created in people when the government is kept away from robbing them of their potential.

Change where it is needed,

Anyone who shares my passion for Capitalism will agree that government aid isn't all it's cracked up to be. We also realize that despite our distaste for government intervention, the United States government will continue to grow by leaps and bounds for years to come. Capitalists like me believe strongly in smaller government, but we know that the most important place in a free society is the human mind. Therefore we know that if we want smaller government, then people's minds should have freedom which will in turn inform them that self-reliance not government power is their answer. It is inevitable that as an economy grows so will the government; the problem is too many people today believe the government is the answer to all their problems. I'm sure it gets tiring for some of you to hear this kind of sermon preached over and over about the "government" and its results, but many don't hear such a message aside from new media venues like the blogosphere. If we want smaller government we Capitalists must win on the battlefield of the free-thinking human mind.

All eyes on Africa,

Africa is a good example of what a lack of Capitalism looks like. With all the "foreign aid" talk buzzing around today people overlook Capitalism as the answer. Not Walter Williams; in his recent article Aid to Africa he spells out clearly why Capitalism is what Africa needs. One of his prime points is the fact that Africans have no problem rising above poverty when they live in Capitalist countries like the US.

Phil Valentine makes case for American Capitalism,

My local host Phil Valentine, makes a good case for Capitalism in one of his recent columns; he also sends a strong warning to fellow Capitalists to be vigilant in staving off Socialism in America. Click his picture below to read his column.

Recognizing private property rights,

The whole sham labeled "price gouging" isn't about price or cost at all. It's about recognizing private property rights. If you own a gas station, then you have the right to charge your customers whatever you wish. After all it is your station! If you charge $50 a gallon, then you will not do any business and be forced to lower your price. In the wake of a natural disaster such as the recent hurricane Dennis, gasoline becomes more scarce and therefore more valuable. Hence the higher prices of gas in areas hardest hit by Dennis. The anti-"price gouging" crowd are simply Socialists in sheeps' clothing.

Putting things in perspective,

I tend to think that manyAmericans today fail to realize that poverty as the world knows it, does not exist in the United States. Sure there are poor people there always will be; but what Americans regard as "poor" would be a Godsend to citizens of other countries. Thanks to my good parents who did an exceptional job of raising me, I never had to live in poverty as my father did during his childhood. But my father has a better understanding of what "poor" means now that he has experienced it first hand. To me having no gas money makes me poor; poor to my father meant not owning a car at all when he was young. Poor to me means only making $100 dollars a week; poor to my father meant working in the fields from sunrise to sundown just to have food to eat. A singer by the name of Craig Morgan illustrated this good in a song called Paradise. Craig was a soldier during the Panama invasion, and upon coming back to America he realized how good and rich America was for the first time in his life.

Once I was a soldier and not afraid to die.
Now I'm a little older and not afraid to cry.
Everyday I'm thankful just to be alive.
When you've been where I've been any kind of life....is paradise.
If you've been where I've been any kind of life.....is paradise.
It's paradise.......paradise. --Craig Morgan

Today, just offer your prayers,

If you've followed my blog, you know that I try to never get off subject, but today I must urge all of you to pray not only for today's victims in London but also pray that the terrorists around the world will meet sudden defeat. Capitalism and Freedom are hated by these terrorists; nothing short of sending these terrorists to their grave will save them. (them meaning Capitalism and Freedom) I myself find myself fortunate to be American and hope that other Americans will feel the same way.

Circumstances,

In a free market economy (Capitalism) price is created by circumstance. People who cry constantly about high gas prices, expensive medicine, and high housing costs don't seem to realize this. Depending on the created circumstances a ridiculous high price can become ideal. For instance it normally would be absurd to even think of selling urine to someone; absurd it may be but a drug user who needs a clean sample to pass a drug test would be willing to buy such a thing. So you can see that before you label a price as "too high" you must first know the current circumstances; many anti-Capitalists refuse to realize this simple truth.

Charity starts at home,

We all know that life is difficult and everyone could use some help from time to time. Capitalists don't deny that an individual may need support to make it through tough times, they just don't believe that such support should come from the government. Older generations of Americans understood this. Most pre-WWII families consisted of many children; the idea was that a large network of children would help support the parents as they got older and help with any work needed around the house(cooking, babysitting children, harvesting food, Etc..). Unfortunately today's Americans are being taught to look to their government for that kind of support; thankfully there are some people (Capitalists) who still believe in the America that was meant to be. I hope that more and more Americans awaken to Capitalism's Truths and maximize America's potential.

What is really fair?

The anti-Capitalists often speak of doing what is "fair". To them that would mean supplying a poor person with medical care, or a college degree. But if we agreed to do such a thing would it really be "fair" to everyone? I am 26 years old and still have another year to complete in college before I can settle into my career. If I choose to have a child now out of wedlock with my girlfriend, should someone who waited to have children after they were married and achieved their career goals be obligated to pay for the costs involved with raising my child? NO!! Of course not! But that's exactly what happens when Socialism occurs; the producers are forced to take care of the nonproducers (by paying higher taxes, does that sound "fair"?). Capitalism is the exact opposite; people learn how to take care of themselves and thus not burden society with extra costs incurred by their failures.

Look for the obvious,

I can understand why some people may tire of learning at times. Some subjects are complicated to understand and involve lots of facts and figures. Capitalism on the other hand is easy to understand if you look for the obvious facts of life. We all know that when things get difficult for us we tend to look for a way to ease our pain. If we take a lunch break to go to Mcdonald's and upon getting there discover a long waiting line with several people, we'll likely do without before spending the entire lunch break in a waiting line. The same principle applies to business in America. When businesses have to meet tons of government regulations and codes, sometimes it's easier for businesses to not open up at all until they can find a way to skirt such regulations. (often done by "outsourcing" to offshore locations) Who pays the price when businesses suffer? The American public.....consumers, employees, and owners (stockholders). Economics isn't that hard to understand, but for far too long Americans have been contented to let politicians and activists do their thinking for them.

Coming off the substance of government,

Even if you've never experimented with illegal drugs, I'm sure you're well aware of drug withdrawals. They occur every time a highly addictive drug (speed, cocaine, Etc.) is used to satisfy someone's drug craving. The drug user stands little if any chance of resisting the urge to take the next hit. Even the most simple minded person can see the destruction such a habit brings to drug users. But why do people not easily see the same destruction being done by our government welfare system? I'm 26 years old and my entire generation remembers government being involved in our lives since birth. Only my grandfather's generation remembers a time when government dependence wasn't even thought about. Since big government programs such as the New Deal and the Great Society, Americans have only increased their dependency on the government. Blogs, and other media venues such as this will hopefully encourage some Americans to come down off the addiction of government support.

Simplifying things,

Since starting this blog to educate folks about Capitalism, I've developed a strong passion for making the seemingly complex ideas of Capitalism understandable. Just last night I was leafing through Rush Limbaugh's book The Way Things Ought To Be and was reminded of the underlying Truths of Capitalism. Even I tend not to see the simple Truths (of Capitalism) that enable people to become successful. To simplify all of Capitalism's Truths into a nutshell, just know that Capitalism ( individuality) is the only way to progress in human development. Put another way Capitalism is the only system that can better the standard of living. Hard work and creativity by the individual is the only way to better one's life. The keyword is only, because that eliminates every other idea that politicians, professors and so called "experts" say is necessary to end poverty.

The best that you can hope for,

A Capitalist system is the best way to minimize human suffering, but it can't eliminate it all together. Capitalism allows resources (money, services, time, Etc.) to get to where they are best used. It would be an impossible goal to make everyone happy; Capitalism simply creates the greatest level of happiness to the greatest number of people possible. Because resources such as time and money are limited, there isn't enough to go around for everyone. So Capitalism enters as the way to distribute such resources in a way that benefits everyone. Take businesses for example; today when going on long trips you can stop at a business along the way should you need to go to the restroom. The businesses only have a restroom to make customers more comfortable, but even non-customers (the person on a long trip) benefit from the business's investment. If you want a happy society, Capitalism is the best that you can hope for.

Roger's take,

Today I heard Roger Hedgecock fill in on The Rush Limbaugh Show and he spoke about the recent ruling by the Supreme Court that gave the government permission to seize private property for public use. He mentioned that with such a ruling we are no longer living in a free-market economy. As he wisely put it, private property rights are the bedrock of a free economy. If you take away private property rights you take away a free economy. If we had more Americans educated enough to understand this; we might stand a fighting chance against an imperial government.

Being pro-active,

In a Capitalist society you have to create your own future. That future can be a very bright one, a mediocre one, or one of misery; the choice is yours. Some people may have to sell their car, their house, or other valuables in order to move forward at some point. Some people may have to move to another location in order to find a better job market. Some may even have to go a period of time without health insurance until they can get on their feet financially. None of these situations are a curse to the people who have to live through them; such situations are beneficial to the individual (by helping them realize their potential) providing the government doesn't get involved. Once the government becomes involved that individual may never know what he is capable of accomplishing all by himself.

Money isn't everything,

A very observant American has realized that more than tax money is needed to fix public education.Click here to see what I am talking about.

Watching your wallet,

Whenever you buy anything (food, gas, clothes ..Etc.) I am sure you prefer to see cheaper prices over higher prices. This is simple to understand when it comes to ourselves but whenever a employer tries to keep costs down by laying off workers and not paying more than minimum wage, that employer is seen as "selfish" or "uncompassionate". Capitalism recognizes the importance of individuals; whether they are employers, janitors, or maids. An employer has every right to cut his costs as any other individual can.

The demand factor,

As much as you hear of supply and demand you may not realize that our economy is a demand economy. The Soviet Union had a command economy where the central government controlled the economic decision making. People in America who wish to earn quick cash are forced to discover what people want. (want=demand) Once a person discovers what people are wanting/demanding then there is an opportunity to make a profit by selling a good or service. My local news paper The Tennessean has a article today about how churches are no longer providing hymnals, but instead using projection screens to provide hymnal words for the church's congregation to sing. That is a result of someone discovering what people want/demand; people like the idea of simply looking at a screen as opposed to constantly flipping pages to find words to sing to. Simply put....we (the people) demand happiness and therefore the Capitalists provide it!

A good quote for fellow Capitalists,

I don't have much time to blog today, so I'll leave you with this quote by Will Rogers:

"The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has."-Will Rogers

Illegal immigration and Capitalism,

I for one am not fond of illegal immigration. But the welfare programs in this country have created a market for it. Thanks to government welfare many Americans aren't going to work long hours in the sun harvesting tobacco, when they can sit on their butt and get money from the government. As a result there is a market in this country for illegal immigration. Illegals are said to be taking jobs that "Americans don't want" but during the Great Depression do you think there were jobs that Americans didn't want? Of course not; people at that time accepted the fact that you had to work and work hard for a living. A good cure for the illegal immigration problem, would be for Americans to recognize opportunity; even when it comes in the form of a low paying job.

A fool and his money,

Capitalism respects effort and ability. If you can put forth the effort to satisfy people's wants; you'll reap the rewards of doing so. But should we also stop our own efforts to help those who aren't prospering? I say no. My reasoning is that in a Capitalist society you live and die by the consequences of your actions. The old adage is true that a fool and his money are soon to part. That saying goes a long ways in understanding economics; it explains why there is no reason to dole out welfare or provide higher wages for people who aren't putting forth effort.

Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? Proverbs 17:16

Joy to the world,

In America we have come to realize since our birth as a nation that man was meant to be free. That's why we associate the word freedom with being American. The anti-Capitalists only use the term "freedom of choice" when it comes to abortion but throw away the same logic when it comes for a person's "right to choose" what to do with their personal property. (their business, their money, their land, and their home. Etc...Etc) But if you think about it you'll agree that we are only happy as humans when we are living for our own inner peace. Are women who unfortunately get tied up in an abusive relationship happy? Are people who have a nightmare boss happy? The obvious answer is no; so what is the remedy to such scenarios? Freedom. Leaving an abusive relationship or a nightmare job for a more pleasant one is illustrative of the beauty of freedom. That is what Capitalists cherish more than any other group of economic thinkers--freedom. Freedom is what brings joy to the human heart and breeds healthy decision making. If you still aren't convinced of this fact, talk with someone who lived in Soviet Russia and ask them how joyful life was without Capitalism.

Economics in more places than you realize,

A lot of people who knock Capitalism are hypocritical in their criticisms. For instance most of them insist that the government should be in the business of helping people do things more efficiently and safely. (speed limits, FDA restrictions on medications, and building codes) Upon making such claims, the anti-Capitalists insist that the cost of government intervention is well worth it. I think it would be a safe bet to book, that the same people who say such nonsense would not make a habit of running a red light every time they get the chance on the road. Obviously because taking such a risk could result in bad results including death. However taking such a risk could result in good things including getting to places on time, less stress from waiting in traffic, and getting to places before a crowd forms. But these people in one instance say that costs aren't important, and yet make daily decisions that show that they know costs are important. Economic decisions are made everyday; often some forget what they already know to be true because they think the people in Washington know better.

Explaining the ignorance,

All pro-Capitalists will agree that a lot of Americans misunderstand Capitalism. The question is: why are so many people ignorant of free-market Capitalism? The answer is in a word: tradition. By this I mean the traditional catch phrases that parents have told their children since the New Deal era. For instance, Democrats are for the poor and Republicans are for the rich. It's not as easy to get away with those lies today since there are many resources available today to debunk them. (cable news, talk radio, and the blogosphere) The reason such people believe that Democrats are for helping the poor is because Democrats support government welfare to "help the poor". Anyone who uses logic knows that government welfare causes individuals to not take action to improve their own lives since the government can give them money for nothing. So is that really "helping the poor"? Of course it isn't. Republicans are accused of being "for the rich" because they believe people who work for their money ought to be able to keep more of it. You never get called "greedy" for wanting other people's money; (government welfare) only if you wish to keep more of your own money are you called "greedy".
Talk show host Rusty Humphries says that in his opinion FDR's New Deal brought Socialism to this country. I have to agree with him.

Speaking for myself,

Part of the credit for my understanding of Capitalism goes to my father, Clyde Mathes. He's still alive and kicking at age 59 and is a living testament to living the American dream. He was born into poverty and spent all of his childhood years in it. He only achieved an 8th grade education, (he later obtained his GED) and didn't marry until his late 20's. My father was the exception of his day, his living conditions during his childhood were some of the worst even among the poor of his day. No indoor plumbing, a shack for a house, no clothes except some scraps of cloth, no electricity, and his mother couldn't read or write. He had more in common with people who lived 500 years ago than people today. He isn't rich today, but he is fairly well off and the father of two children (me and my brother Jeremy Mathes) who will graduate from college within a year. He kept working at a job for over 12 years (where he still works) and started his own landscaping business. I'm very proud of him, and without saying a word his life shows that no amount of hardship can hold back a man who wants to make it in a Capitalist society!

"Every person carves his spot - and fills the hole with life. And I pray someday I might - light as bright as he." - Conway Twitty

Making it work,

It continues to amaze me to see the number of people who think throwing money around can "end poverty". If you want to end poverty I got two words for you: teach Capitalism. No amount of money given to someone for being unproductive will ever help them to become productive. On the other hand if you show them that they have power within themselves to create wealth, they will set out to do just that and thus eliminate any "poverty" that may exist in their life. To really fight poverty in a society you must do everything possible to get people to rely on themselves to solve their problems. Until that happens the people will continue to live in fear and look to Uncle Sam for handouts to ease that fear.

Capitalism and equality,

Equality is a word often used by anti-Capitalists. They try to sell the notion that Capitalism isn't fair because it doesn't offer "equality" between the rich man and the poor man. But "equality" isn't the same thing as freedom, which is the root of Capitalism. Everyone seems to grasp this concept when it pertains to other things; for instance when someone wins a state lottery nobody expects the state to give all lottery players a million dollars to achieve "equality" between the winners and losers. Nor should anyone expect the government to reward anyone for not offering goods and services that the public wants. If you are creative enough to offer goods and services that the public demands, Capitalism will always be kind to you. Unfortunately some people today believe that achievers and non-achievers should all be treated "equal". Let's pray that Capitalism survives such nonsense.

Long live competition,

In today's media liberals often trash certain corporations as being a "monopoly" (Microsoft) or holding "too big a share"(Wal-Mart) in the free market. But is such competition really a bad thing? No. Competition is what makes the market attractive to customers like me and you; you might even say that we control the market. We are the one's who made Wal-Mart as big as it is by buying their products. Microsoft also gave us something we wanted in return for us giving Microsoft our money; that's how markets work.

If the Republicans failed to run a candidate in the 2008 presidential election, do you not think that the lesser known parties (Constitutional Party, libertarian Party) would take advantage and run their candidate? Of course they would, otherwise the Democrats would have a monopoly on the race. That's why the free market doesn't favor monopolies contrary to what the anti-Capitalists tell you, because when any company tries to become a monopoly competitors enter the market.

More than money,

I often warn people about government welfare programs. Most often I explain the injustice of taking money away from one American and giving it to another one. But aside from that injustice there is another.....and that is robbing an individual of their potential. You can give a person a welfare check that will pay for their immediate needs (food, shelter, clothing. etc..) but at the same time that keeps them looking to the government for answers instead of looking within themselves. A person is better served working for $100 a week, than sitting at home and receiving $400 a week in government welfare; they are better off working because only then do they develop their potential. That's why past generations of Americans were happy with far less than Americans have today. They were forced to develop their full potential without government help; they knew that a good work ethic is worth more than money.

The whole equation,

When it comes to basic economics most people are in the dark. Union leaders, politicians, and activists often seek out "bargains" in any way they can. Some complaints you hear from such people are outsourcing of jobs, high gas prices, and a low minimum wage. Rarely do such people understand the whole part of the equation of those things. They look for ways to save jobs and money, and often they do just the opposite. They confuse cost with price. High gas prices doesn't necessarily mean the cost of gas is high. In the 1970's price controls made the price of gas drop, while the cost of it went up. Time and travel are not free and a lot of that occurred in the 1970's, as people hunted for a gas station that had a shorter waiting line. What people fail to see when they are critical of "outsourcing" is that the consumer benefits from lower prices and as a result more benefits are created for everyone. When the idea of minimum wage comes around a lot of its backers think of it as the moral thing to do. But they fail to see that as a result of minimum wage, people with little or no skills (including mentally handicapped people) get priced out off the job market. We should see past our emotions in order to see the whole equation.

Consider the source,

Most of today's (and yesterday's) anti-Capitalists are unique. You'll find upon research that most of the people who demand government programs for "the poor" are fairly wealthy! For instance if Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Michael Moore, and Al Franken are so concerned for the poor they shouldn't wait on George Bush to "end poverty"; they should be out there using their amassed wealth to help the poor. The same was true for the Marxists of yesterday who often raised their voice to help the poor; the one's who were activists and politicians were wealthy from the get go; they used the help the poor slogan to achieve more wealth for themselves with little genuine concern for the poor. Karl Marx himself was wealthy at the time he wrote The Communist Manifesto. I am glad to see more people these days question the legitimacy of those who claim to be "for the little guy". The next time you hear a do-gooder's sermon on poverty in America, consider the source.

Why tax cuts work, (every time)

Some people believe that when the government raises taxes, the government actually takes in more money. That is not the way it happens. When the government lowers the tax rate, it takes in more money, than when it raises the tax rate. Why is this so? Because more taxpayers enter the market when the tax rate is low. Conversely more taxpayers leave the market via "tax shelter" accounts and offshore accounts whenever the tax rate is raised. Whenever the tax rate is lowered, people pull their money out of such shelters and use it in the free market. Believe it or not a Democrat president understood this a few decades ago; his name was John F. Kennedy.
If only his party today would understand Capitalism's Truths as well as he did!

Can solving economic problems be expensive?

Words such as "affordable" and "free" get used often by liberal politicians who demand some form of government welfare for the poor. That covers everything from "free healthcare" to "affordable housing". Now the question you should ask yourself concerning such ideas is, will more problems be created by the use of government intervention? So-called "free healthcare" is a good example. What happens to a doctor's office when they offer "free" services? They get clogged with so many people that you could wait months at a time to get to see the doctor; not to mention the fact that if you are a taxpayer the services aren't "free" at all. As for "affordable housing" you need not look further than our government housing projects. Ask the people who live there if they feel delighted to live in their environment. So we need to ask ourselves whenever a politician promises help from the government: " Could this eliminate one problem and create ten others?"

Excessive force,

Whenever I hear a charge of "excessive force" being leveled against a policeman in the media I am puzzled. Why do we never hear of "excessive force" when it comes to the government taking away money from some Americans by threat of force, and giving it to other Americans? But you may wonder what I mean by threat of force. If I refuse to pay taxes to the government, what happens? I will of course be arrested eventually for tax evasion; arrest would of course carry with it, the use of force by the government to put me in jail.

Taxes will always be with us, but how do we know what to tax for? The Constitution gives the government specific duties for which it can tax. There was never supposed to be taxes to pay for a Senator's garage, or to pay for health care for the less fortunate. Since FDR's New Deal, the American people have been looking to Washington for answers to their problems.

Free trade,

A lot of folks who don't grasp the concept of free trade often attack it. To them it is seen as shipping jobs overseas or unpatriotic. One thing that such people tend to overlook is the role of the individual in free trade. If you purchase a Japanese made car, isn't that well within your rights to do so? Of course it is; so you see that free trade in that instance isn't between the American government and the Japanese government. It is between individuals, such as yourself and the CEO of a Japanese automobile company. If you stifle free trade, you stifle the freedom of the individual. Remember the individual is the basic unit of a free nation.

To learn more about free trade click here!

Ignore the hype,

I mentioned in my other posts some of Capitalism's Truths. The important thing to remember about those Truths is that they never change. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise no matter if they are a politician, social worker, or even the President of the United States.(oh...and especially if they are a college professor!) The naysayers are working overtime these days to mislead people; unfortunately they often do. The law of supply and demand will always work whenever and wherever it is tried. You increase the cost of anything and you will get less people wanting it. Likewise if you lower the cost you will get more people wanting it. Remember this the next time you hear a do-gooder trying to make the case that swift and certain punishments for criminals do not deter crime.

What's the cost of freedom?

On Memorial Day we reflect on those who gave our lives for our freedom. Capitalism's underlying theme is freedom. The question is freedom from what? In a Capitalist society freedom means having freedom from the initiation of force by others. That's why conservatives tire of hearing new welfare programs to help the "common good". The only way the government can give a $1 to someone is to take $1 away from someone else! That is initiating force against someone to take their money and give it to someone else. But it's not just the politicians in Washington to blame; we as citizens act passive and let them get away with such schemes. I expect the men in Washington to keep acting as they do as long as we remain passive.

For a good follow up, check out Capitalism.org's piece on freedom.

Who's really for the rich man?

Many anti-Capitalist liberals claim to be for the little guy, and also claim that conservative Capitalists are for the rich man. But if you look closer you'll find that many laws passed to protect the little guy, are really harming the little guy more than anything. For instance in most US cities a taxi license is required to start your own taxi company. Most often such a license is more than (sometimes considerably more than) $10,000. Before such a law was passed, poor people would often buy a old used car and provide taxi services as low as $1 per 5miles. That would benefit both the poor owner and the consumer. So when the license law took over the little guy was priced out of the market.
So who was responsible for pricing the poor man out of the taxi service? The answer is rich owners of taxi companies who wish to price out competition. So the liberal politicians pass licensing laws to supposedly protect people from poor customer service, but in the end kick the poor man to the curb at the rich man's request. So who is really for the rich man?

"Big Government" knows Capitalism is great,

This morning while in my car, I had my radio tuned to my local AM station 1510 WLAC which is largely a conservative station. It is Nashville's home for Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity; but this morning I heard a commercial sponsored by the EPA with a liberal message. It spoke about pollution to our water bodies on earth (lakes, rivers, oceans etc..) and how industry is partly to blame for it. I don't want to waste time debunking this commercial, but I do find it interesting that Big Government groups such as the EPA would choose to broadcast their ads on a conservative station. The reason of course is because the audience of conservative talk radio stations is fairly large. Therefore your ads will reach more people than on rival stations. This shows the hypocrisy of liberals and their Big Government buddies; they knock Capitalism while living by its principles every day!

For the naysayers,

Is money really the root of all evil? Is the pursuit of profit evil? Today's anti-Capitalists would have you believe the answer to both questions is "yes", but take a closer look. Did Henry Ford labor hard to create a automobile because he wanted to serve humanity? Of course not; he was pursuing profit. When you go to a nice restraunt where service is excellent, do you really think those restraunt workers go to work each day just to serve humanity? No, they go to work to satisfy their need for income. When we each pursue profit and income to satisfy our own immediate needs....the whole economy benefits. Adam Smith called this the invisible hand effect; everything falls into its most needed place when people have economic freedom. So you can see that Karl Marx was nowhere close on his judgment of Capitalism.

The most important part,

The main word to remember in dealing with any economic system is scarcity. That means that every resource (time, money, intelligence, etc.) is limited. That's why in America if you find a $20 bill on the sidewalk you are excited; we know that $20 bills are scarce enough to not easily be found without good effort.

Germany at one time, tried printing more money to cure the national debt. As a result coined and paper money was no longer scarce, so it wouldn't have made your day if you found a $20 money piece on the sidewalk; because money at that time was easy to find and therefore not worth as much. In fact one can of beer might have cost you as much as $500!. We've learned over time that the best system to deal with the scarcity monster is Capitalism.

How to think like a Capitalist,

If you are familiar with Capitalist thought, you know that we Capitalists encourage individual effort and ask that government aid be kept out of it. But why do we feel that way? Because we have come to realize that the government ruins things when it tries to help; we also realize that when people face difficulty they usually overcome it best by using their own intelligence. So whenever the government steps in to lift someone out of poverty for example, that person stops looking to their own intelligence for help, and begins looking to the government. As a result that individual stays in poverty while being dependent on the government's help.

Thomas Sowell calls this concept, "thinking beyond stage one". That's all Capitalism is nothing more, nothing less. If you think beyond stage one, then you are thinking like a Capitalist.

Thomas Sowell

Time,

When asked to name a valuable resource, most people say money. While that is a very valuable resource, many fail to see just how valuable the resource of time is. If you think back to why the price controls of gasoline in the 70's were such a nightmare, you'll see that it was because much of people's time was wasted waiting hours in line just for gas. The gas was cheaper in price, but not in cost. Time is not free.

The beauty of creation,

Not only do the anti-Capitalists criticize Capitalism in America, but they also blame Capitalism for the poverty stricken areas in the world. The thing they fail to notice is that any area in the world that enjoys a high standard of living, does so because of Capitalism. The power to create must be encouraged to promote Capitalism and thus a better standard of living.

So what do I mean by create? To some it means investing money made from a part-time job, to others it means purchasing a business, and some may even risk starting a totally new kind of business. When these kind of businesses succeed we all benefit, because they can only succeed by providing us with a good or service we enjoy.

Close enough to perfect for me,

Capitalism isn't perfect. But then again, nothing on this earth is meant to be perfect. Capitalism does happen to be the closest we can come to a perfect economic system on earth. We all have general wants to be met; we also realize that there are limited resources to satisfy everyone's want. So Capitalism comes in and gets the resources to the places they are most needed.

If you have someone you want to marry, they may act angry at times, forgetful sometimes, and downright hateful at times. To the others that don't love that person, such qualities aren't worth putting up with. But if they satisfy your want for companionship, those qualities are a small price to pay. So you say to yourself that your spouse is "close enough to perfect for me!". That's exactly how I feel about Capitalism.


"She kisses me each morning, and smiles a sleepy smile. She doesn't have to say it, I can see it in her eyes. Don't you worry about my woman or what you think she ought to be. She's close enough to perfect for me."- Carl Chambers

The poor,

We here a lot about helping the poor these days. But who is "the poor"? Sometimes it seems easy to determine...if one man has 0$ in his bank account our instincts want to call him "poor". But what if he's young and in good health? In America should such a condition be labeled as "poor"? A young man in America with no money and perfect health is envied big time by the starving children in the third world nations. What if that same young men gets a job, but it is only a job working fast food for minimum wage? Does that make him poor? Chances are that young man's grandparents who lived through the Great Depression would have loved to have such a job.....even if it paid below minimum wage!!!

Thanks to Capitalism, "poor" in America is considered rich to the rest of the world. Like Walter E. Williams often says: If a unborn spirit was condemned by God to suffer poverty on earth, but given the chance to choose it's place of birth, you could safely bet that the unborn spirit would choose America!