That Sound You Hear is Adam Smith Laughing Uncontrollably
There isn’t much to be said about Alex Conley’s latest opinion piece in the Emerald that hasn’t been summed-up here, but I figured that it’s my duty as a Commentator staffer to at least point out a few of his more cringe-worthy pronouncements.
Conley, you see, has decided that “that the capitalist ideals to which we hold so firmly, even in our time of hardship, are no longer suitable to a 21st-century United States.” To wit:
When our nation was young, it was known as “the land of opportunity,” a place where, if you worked hard, you would eventually be able to live a prosperous life and find happiness. However idealistic that may have been, today, even if you work your hardest, there’s no guarantee in the least that you will be able to get by, much less prosper.
Conley, evidently, has confused the definitions of the words “opportunity” and “entitlement” because at no time in the history of this country has anyone been guaranteed prosperity and happiness. I mean, it’s right there in the Declaration of Independence*: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
But American history isn’t the only subject in which Conley comes up lacking. Take, for instance, this authoritative statement: “The key element in capitalism is the idea that ‘you get what you work for.'” Wait, wait! Don’t tell me! That’s Hayek, right? Von Mises?
The balance of the article consists a sentence or two blaming the current economic crisis on “our vaunted free market” (Do tell…), a rousing call to lock arms and march together toward a better future in which we all help one another, some cookie-cutter stereotypes about living in an “every man for himself” society, and a concluding paragraph prescribing the abandonment of capitalism because “the world has changed” since the beginning of the 20th Century. Or something. And stuff.
For what we are to leave behind capitalism is never quite mentioned; One can only presume that Mr. Conley hasn’t been paying attention to socialist Europe’s own financial problems. To be honest, I’m not sure Conley himself really understands what he’s talking about, beyond a few fuzzy ideas and shopworn stereotypes.
But hey, this is the Ol’ Dirty we’re talking about. Considered ideas on their opinion page aren’t exactly their stock in trade.
* Since I linked to the Declaration of Independence, I might as well link to the Constitution, too. We don’t link to the Constitution enough around here.
