Rachel Brevard wrote, what I thought, a great piece titled Hawley is Asking the Right Questions About the Dollar. I posted a few snippets from her article on Twitter and one quote brought out a quick comeback from my favorite Capitalist Pig, Jonathan Hoenig. Jonathan was short and to the point in his response.
Please note: It was late last night when I posted Rachel’s piece. I actually fell asleep with my phone in hand prior to finishing posting the thread so did feel a little slighted that Jonathan seemed to unjustly reprimand me. (It is all good. Water off a duck’s back, really. I truly adore him.)
Jonathan talks a lot about free markets, capitalism, and Wall Street. He has an online show about Objective Investing most Saturdays, usually around 10 a.m. Central. There have been a few times when I recall him saying “defend Capitalism” and once, when a viewer pummeled the timeline with contrary opinions, Jonathan responded with, “come on, help me out here [audience].” as he defended his capitalist pig position.
He is right. Defend Capitalism.
In Rachel’s article, I like how she goes through a thought process. Using questions, she addresses the language, the phraseology that is used in the media today. I have heard those terms and phrases used for years but she asks questions and then is clear to state:
Maybe the answer to both these questions is yes, and maybe Hawley’s pursuit of these policy corrections is misguided. But the conversation he is starting is not out of line. Their dismissal of it is.
And it’s to the benefit of everyone on the Right to welcome an honest assessment of the realities in the current marketplace, test whether old assumptions still apply, and either attack or defend them with the intellectual rigor our politics deserve.
The conversation is not out of line. Their dismissal of it is.
I know what Jonathan thinks. He is a follower of Ayn Rand. He promotes Objectivism and as mentioned previously, has his own twist in how he applies her theory to being objective in his investment philosophy, which I find useful as an investment philosophy.
What I love about Jonathan is his expertise in the markets. I love that he generously shares what he has learned, his personal experience with others. He is quick witted. His mind is agile, filled with information and he is, usually, quick on the draw with his encyclopedia-like capitalist pig knowledge.
Like Jonathan and Rachel, I agree that discussions and defense of the free market, true capitalism, must be had to correctly influence those beguiled by the anti-capitalist sophists in American culture today. Influencing the public by answering anti-capitalist questions with better questions and then following up with true, free market principles in the discussion seems a more effective way to educate those within our spheres of influence.
Why not defend Capitalism by acknowledging it is based upon principles that Matt Kibbe so eloquently discusses in Don’t Hurt People and Don’t Take Their Stuff? Could we then better defend Capitalism by acknowledging that Taxpayers are not responsible for corporate or government bailouts? And what would happen if we defend Capitalism by discussing bad practices and correctly labeling criminal behavior as anti-capitalist instead of blaming Wall Street collectively?
Miscreants who lie, cheat, steal, and abuse the Capitalist System are not Capitalists. They are what they are, liars, cheaters, thieves and system abusers or basically, anti-capitalists.
I think in reaching out to the common man and woman, and I include myself in that statement, gentle persuasion, asking questions, and offering suggestions is a more effective way to win friends and influence people. And I say that as a screamer, one who has blood shooting out of her eyes, and my head popping off from having had to listen to the sophistry of socialists and totalitarians and anti-capitalists and watching RINOs for many years.
Suggested Reading & Viewing:
- Your Greed or Their Greed?
- The Financial Crisis: What happened and why
- Why Government Corruption Is the True Enemy of Economic Freedom
- Matt Kibbe: The Glenn Beck Podcast (video) Episode 31
- Thomas Sowell on the Myths of Economic Inequality
- In Defense of Capitalism: Church Leaders on Property, Wealth, and the Economic Order
- Capitalism lite: Are youth finance and entrepreneurship programs beneficial or burdensome?
- Lobbying Disclosure: The House
- Lobbying Disclosure: The Senate
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