by A.T. Meininger

Created on: October 24, 2009

Much more than a personal preference, I would never be able to enjoy the quality of life that I do if it weren't for the amounts of freedom our economy maintains. Anyone writing for this site, for example is exercising their capitalistic virtue-the trade of creativity for money. Even those who would donate all their earnings to charity would at the very least selfishly benefit from the joy that they helped others. And the mainstream favor of the computers and internet demonstrates that this medium of exchange is desirable.

But let's cut to it: Capitalism is the only economic structure (or lack thereof) that is rights respecting. A socialist must violate individual rights for a group. But who is a group? Groups are only aggregates of individuals. And as such, the socialist system means robbing individuals to pay other individuals. This is an inherent contradiction in self-ownership.

What about the poor? In a free society, they may help themselves. Still no proof is offered as how government as an equalizer has encouraged self sufficiency rather than living vicariously.

What about sweat shops for children? Capitalism has done away with the need for child labor. Initially the industrial revolution had child labor, as did agriculture-which is not any different than previous economies. As methods became more efficient, children were told to go to school so that they can better themselves later in the work force. By the time the first child labor laws passed in the U.S., the practice of child labor was close to its end. Because nobody wants children to work as laborers currently, it seems unlikely that child labor would return.

What about the environment? Businesses will bend over backwards to help people with their desires. If it were not for the consumer populace that demanded the green revolution, green t-shirts, handbags, E-85 automobiles, and increased mpg ratings would not be catered to. Products such as Clorox's Green Works would not be made, and Tide would never undergo it's campaign to clean oil-spill animal victims.

What a socialist does not understand is how sacred property is to individuals who own businesses. Any logging company that cuts down trees wants to earn a profit, and because of this must keep it's land sustainable to keep their business sustainable. What does breed pollution, however, is the mixed-economy that allows public lakes to be polluted by private companies. Private companies may buy a pollution permit from the state to pollute the

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