Guest Post: The article which follows
was submitted by an independent contributor. Though it is published
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article, nor do we hold any credit for the work within.
Macroeconomics and the Fallacy of Freedom
By David Logsdon
The macroeconomic principles which
confine our nation are both plentiful and confounding. Supply and
demand, closed loop vs. open loop...it's enough to make even the
smartest of economists scratch their heads from time to time. The
question before our nation now, though, is one which will determine
our economic, personal, and political future for years to come...is
capitalism successful?
Today, we won't focus on all the
principles involved. Instead we will focus on one...in my personal
opinion the biggest flaw of capitalism...the assumption of continual
growth. Capitalism relies upon continual growth to exist. Their must
be continued growth to ensure a capitalistic economy has a constant
flow of money and resources. Since no government agency is
controlling the sector, supply and demand instead control what
transpires...ensuring the age old adage of “the strongest survive”.
The issue lies in the fact that we on
the planet Earth do not live in an open loop system...one where
resources “appear” as needed with no limit. Unlimited
inputs=unlimited abilities and outputs. Anyone with even a basic
understanding of biology has to admit the exact opposite is true...we
live in a world with very limited resources, resources which continue
to dwindle as the world population explodes. It stands to reason,
then, that capitalism is an ill fated black sheep in the modern
economic world...and you are partially correct if you think so.
Capitalism is destined to fail if taken in its pure theoretical form.
Of course, we have not had a true
capitalistic economic system in many, many years, if ever (that point
has been argued, and will likely be argued, until the Earth ceases to
exist). Instead, the government has continued to step in as
necessary to maintain a balance and control...in theory ensuring no
one company takes advantage of another and that the playing field is
“level”. In theory, this should work. In practice, it rarely
does. Regulations and bureaucracy have hampered growth in some
sectors while allowing others to grow far beyond what should be
deemed “safe and normal”.
But even that digresses from the point
of today's writing. It is unrealistic and ill fated to assume that
everyone has the ability to “grow”...to better themselves. To
succeed...to be “all they can be”. In a system with limited
resources, which is the system in which we live, there will always be
“haves” and there will always be “have nots”. That is the
basic reasoning and premise behind social welfare and “safety net”
systems: to ensure that even those in the “have nots” are still
able to eek out a life which is not in abject poverty.
It is human nature to want better...to
want to succeed and move forward in life. To have the American dream.
But what exactly is that dream? And what hope do we have of reaching
that dream if economic resources continue to dwindle? There are no
easy answers. One thing is for sure though: the language which is
currently used against the abject poor is both hateful and
unreasonable. To assume that everyone can be “middle class or
better” is a fallacy brought about by the “haves” to ensure
they don't have to “give up” more than what they believe is their
“fair share”. They don't want to admit “good luck” and “good
circumstance” combined with their hard work to ensure success.
It's too hard to admit that hard work alone does not guarantee a good
existence...and it opens up too many avenues from which their wealth
can be taken away.
Our nation was founded to escape both
religious and monetary persecution... a place to escape the upper
class and ensure the basic freedoms which we are given at birth by
our creator. Though we have stumbled many times over the years, I
don't personally believe we have ever been farther from the truth and
meaning of freedom. “With great freedom comes great responsibility”
seems to hold no reverence today. It is my firm hope that the modern
day “wage slavery” promoted by the “1%” will one day be
exposed...long before it's too late. America is still the land of
freedom and opportunity...but for it to remain that way will require
years of work to ensure that all have at least some basic semblance
of true freedom.
It's easy to let the elitists of the
world ruin years of hard work...please don't buy into the bigotry and
propaganda. America can be great again...but not unless all who call
this place home have a reasonably successful existence.
Dave Logsdon is an independent
consultant from southwest Alabama. College educated, and currently
looking to pursue a graduate degree after nearly a decade of work, he
writes under a pseudonym to ensure his privacy. He does not maintain
an online presence.
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I hope you enjoyed our guest article. Any comments which you have I will pass along to Dave since he does not actively promote an online presence.
SGAF
