Xtreme Economics: “FREE” vs. “FASCIST” Economics
The FREE vs FASCISM
BASIC ECONOMICS
the invisible hand of “supply and demand”
vs
“social engineering”
*
natural laws (“science” – life, liberty, property)
vs
political rules (“political” science – POWER)
*
Capitalist (no contraint “laissez faire“)
vs
COMMAND (centrally planned – controlled)
*
choice/competition (Social Darwinism)
vs
COOPERATION (“It Takes a Village“)
*
MARKETS
OPPORTUNITY vs OUTCOMES
(process – every starts the same)
(products/results – everyone ends the same)
FREE markets (pursuit of happiness)
vs
FAIR markets (anti-greed “social justice”)
individual CHOICE – “open”/no constraints
vs
group CONFORMITY (controlled/closed)
WEALTH and POVERTY
PROCESS (individual “pursuit of happiness”)
vs
PRODUCTS (mob “social justice”)
*
capitalism created unprecedented wealth (ALTRUISM)
capitalism creates destructive & divisive greed (ALIENATION)
*
GENERATE-EARN (creation-earn) vs RE-DISTRIBUTE (re-distribution)
* GROW the PIE
vs
SHARE the PIE
pro-Industrial Rev.– the BLESSINGS of production (The Great Enrichment)
*
anti-Ind. Rev.–the BURDENS of chaos/destruction
INequality of MORE – unequal blessing
vs
EQUALITY of LESS (sharing misery?)
*
entrepreneurship – high risk/reward (PROFITS)
vs
social justice – collective (PHILANTHROPY)
*
“tragic” greed – acceptance allows pursuit of happiness
vs
“utopian” LEVELING – “common good”
*
unintended consequences – “hand-outs” produce “dependency”
vs
destructive & divisive greed
*
EARNED wealth causes prosperity
CLASS WARFARE
“EXPLOITATION”
causes poverty millions
*
raised, become “middle class”
*
a permanent “under class” – resentment of “rich”
making-creating “HAVES”
*
protecting “HAVE NOTS” –
leveling the “haves”
*
making rich poor-er does not make poor rich-er
victimization – the rich make the poor (zero-sum game)
*
promote prosperity (pro-“rich”)
vs
prevent poverty (pro-“poor”)
*
greedy/strong game the system (the Jungle)
vs
envious/weak game the system (the Nanny State)
*
MAKERS (e.g. Wall Street “robber barons”)
vs
TAKERS (e.g. welfare “queens”)
*
poor “parasites” on “producers”
wealthy “parasites” on poor “exploitation”
* trickle DOWN? wealth – promote prosperity/profits
VS
trickle UP? poverty – prevent poverty-philanthropy
ECONOMIC “SYSTEMS”
Capitalism VS Communism VS Socialism
*
(individual) private enterprise
VS
(group) collective endeavor
VS
“mixed” private & public–state domination
*
laissez-faire freedom (Smith)
EQUITY – redistribution of wealth (Marx) “totalitarianism” (Mussolini)
*
PRO Industrial Rev. VS ANTI-Industrial Rev VS POST-Industrial Rev (mixed “Third Way”)
ROLE of GOVERNMENT
free market CHOICE and COMPETITION
vs
COLLUSION (Wall/”K” Street vs Main Street)
*
laissez faire (‘let it be” – invisible hand – no govt. “interference”
VS
-anti-monopoly (govt. regulation)
VS
anti-competition”crony” capitalism (big govt.-business COLLUSION)
*
“PROTECTION” vs “PUNISHMENT” (“gaming the system”)
*
PROTECT “ORDER”
VS
PREVENT “CHAOS”
*
COMPETITION
VS
COOPERATION-COLLUSION
*
protect-promote INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS –
VS
COLLECTIVE GOOD (corporate profits)
VS
“MIXED” – COLLUSION – COLLECTIVE –
pro-state Big GOVERNMENT-BUSINESS collusion vs “citizens-masses”
*
POWER: LITE – MEDIUM – HEAVY
*
“FAT CATS” vs “FORGOTTEN MAN” vs FASCIST STATE
*
“The JUNGLE” (“pimps 1) vs “The CON-TRICK” (“players” 2) vs “The GAME” (pigs)
*
PROFITS (personal-private) vs PRIVILEGE (partial) vs POWER (total)
*
COMPETITION VS COLLUSION VS CONTROL
*
COMPETITION (citizens) vs COLLUSION (combinations) vs CARTELS (conglomerates-complexes)
*
LEVEL (free markets) vs LEVEL-ed (“manipulated” market” vs “LEVERAGED” (“mastered”) market
*
MARKETs vs MANIPULATIONs vs MONOPOLIES
*
“PROTECT” – productive enterprise-entrepreneurship (“MAKERS’) –
“open” opportunity’
VS
“PUNISH”
RE-DISTRIBUTE (“TAKERS”) wealth –
LEVEL-ing income; “progressive” taxation
*
“ALL IN” (pro players) vs “FIXED GAME” (pro protection) vs “GAMED SYSTEM” (pro played)
*
“open” OPPORTUNITIES
VS
limited-controlled OUTCOMES
*
“LIMITED” TAXATION – less is more
VS
“PROGRESSIVE” taxation – rich pay proportionally more
*
pro-growth promoting risk/wealth [pie] – MAKERS
VS
share the wealth [pie] – TAKERS
*
PRIVATE-INDIVIDUAL “INTERESTS”
(the “INVISIBLE HAND”)
VS
TOTALITARIAN collective good
(the “IRON FIST”)