Capitalism Archives - Page 2 of 3 Voice For Liberty

Sep

Free will and government charity

Those who call on government intervention to take care of the less fortunate and who rely on Christian teachings to support such government action, often conveniently forget that government is based on coercion, not the free will that God created us with. As P.J. O'Rourke wrote: "There is no virtue in compulsory government charity, and there is no virtue in advocating it. A politician who portrays himself as 'caring' and 'sensitive' because he wants to expand the government's charitable programs is merely saying that he's willing to try to do good with other people's money. Well, who isn't? And a…

Sep

By Bob Weeks

Charles G. Koch: Corporate cronyism harms America

"The effects on government are equally distorting -- and corrupting. Instead of protecting our liberty and property, government officials are determining where to send resources based on the political influence of their cronies. In the process, government gains even more power and the ranks of bureaucrats continue to swell." The editorial in today's Wall Street Journal by Charles G. Koch, chairman of the board and CEO of Wichita-based Koch Industries contains many powerful arguments against the rise of cronyism. The argument above is just one of many. In his article, Koch makes an important observation when he defines cronyism: "We…

Aug

By Guest Author

Charles Koch: The importance of economic freedom

Charles Koch, chairman of the board and CEO of Wichita-based Koch Industries, contributes the following article on the importance of economic freedom and the harm of cronyism. Another article written by him on this topic is Charles Koch: Why Koch Industries is speaking out. Koch is also the author of the book The Science of Success: How Market-Based Management Built the World's Largest Private Company. More about the importance of economic freedom may be found at www.economicfreedom.org, a project of the Charles Koch Institute, and also at Perspectives. In 1990, the year before the collapse of the Soviet Union, I…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Wichita-area economic development policy changes proposed

The City of Wichita and Sedgwick County are considering a revision to their economic development policies. Instead of promoting economic freedom and a free-market approach, the proposed policy gives greater power to city bureaucrats and politicians, and is unlikely to produce the economic development that Wichita needs. A new feature of the proposed policy implements property tax forgiveness for speculative industrial buildings, with a formula that grants a higher percentage of tax forgiveness as building size increases. And, in a stroke of pure bureaucratic central planning, the ceilings of these buildings must be at least 28 feet high. The policy…

May

By Bob Weeks

Palmer, activist for capitalism, to speak in Wichita

I'd like to call your attention to, and invite you to attend, a lecture next week in Wichita. The speaker is Tom G. Palmer, and he will be speaking on topics from his recent book The Morality of Capitalism. I met Tom last year when I spent my summer vacation attending Cato University, which Tom is director of. He is a fascinating speaker. His background includes feats such as smuggling books, photocopiers, and faxes into the Soviet Union. Currently he is Vice President for International Programs at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, General Director of the Atlas Global Initiative for…

May

By Bob Weeks

Intellectuals vs. the rest of us

At a recent educational meeting I attended, someone asked the question: Why doesn't everyone believe what we (most of the people attending) believe: that private property and free exchange -- capitalism, in other words -- are superior to government intervention and control over the economy? It's question that I've asked at conferences I've attended. The most hopeful answer is ignorance. While that may seem a harsh word to use, ignorance is simply a "state of being uninformed." That can be cured by education. This is the reason for this website. This is the reason why I and others testify in…

May

By Bob Weeks

Political cronyism has become the way

"A society whose businesses engage in cronyism instead of serving people will not be prosperous, and in America it is clear that cronyism is becoming a more common choice," writes Sam Patterson at EconomicFreedom.org. Cronyism is the practice of seeking business success through government rather than through markets. The difference is that business succeeds in the market by providing goods and services that people are willing to buy. Political cronyism, on the other hand, results in people being forced to buy from, or to otherwise involuntarily subsidize, certain business firms that have succeeded in the political arena. In Kansas, despite…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Raising minimum wage not the solution

As calls mount to raise the federal minimum wage, we need to remember that this law -- as well-intentioned as it may be -- is not the solution to unemployment or raising the standard of living of workers. The great appeal of a higher minimum wage mandated by an act of Congress is that it seems like a wonderfully magical way to increase the wellbeing of low-wage workers. Those who were earning less than the new lawful wage and keep their jobs after the increase are happy. They are grateful to the lawmakers, labor leaders, newspaper editorialists, and others who…

Mar

By Guest Author

Mike Pompeo: We need capitalism, not cronyism

In a guest column written for Americans for Prosperity, Kansas, U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo of Wichita explains why political cronyism, sometimes called crony capitalism, is wrong for our country. Pompeo coins a useful new term: "photo-op economics" to describe why some politicians support wasteful federal spending projects -- as long as the spending is wasted in their districts. Then logrolling -- the trading of legislative favors -- applies, and those legislators who received votes from others to support wasteful spending must now reciprocate and support other wasteful spending. Pompeo touches on an important aspect of public policy that is not…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

For President Obama, internet is just another job-killer

John Hinderaker of Powerline Blog seems to understand just where President Barack Obama thoughts come from. Hinderaker writes: "This is one more reminder -- as if we needed it -- that President Obama has no understanding of the economy. He is, at heart, a Luddite. He doesn’t understand that when work is made more efficient, as by the internet, our economy becomes more productive and we are all better off." Luddites were 19th-century English textile artisans who smashed mechanical looms because they felt the machines were destroying jobs. Here's the full article, including video: Welcome to Texas!