ARRA News Service
News Blog for social, fiscal & national security conservatives who believe in God, family & the USA. Upholding the rights granted by God & guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, traditional family values, "republican" principles / ideals, transparent & limited "smaller" government, free markets, lower taxes, due process of law, liberty & individual freedom. Content approval rests with the ARRA News Service Editor. Opinions are those of the authors. While varied positions are reported, beliefs & principles remain fixed. No revenue is generated for or by this "Blog" - no paid ads - no payments for articles. Fair Use Doctrine is posted & used.
Blogger/Editor/Founder: Bill Smith, Ph.D. [aka: OzarkGuru & 2010 AFP National Blogger of the Year]
Contact: editor@arranewsservice.com (Pub. Since July, 2006)
    Home Page
   

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato (429-347 BC)

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

'Capitalist Manifesto' Explains Perils of Cronyism

by Rachel Alexander: Ralph Benko and Bill Collier have written the free market antidote to The Communist Manifesto, titled The Capitalist Manifesto. They reveal some fascinating insights that you probably have never heard of. I always said that capitalism only works if tempered by Christianity. While I still believe that, and this book does not say anything to contradict that, it will give you a fresh new perspective on how capitalism by itself is a good thing.

Benko is an early Kemp-era Supply Sider and former Reagan White House official, who founded the Prosperity Caucus, is the co-founder and chairman of The Capitalist League, co-author of The Capitalist Manifesto, founder of The Prosperity Coalition and a weekly political columnist and sometime freelancer. Collier, as described by the iconic Arthur Laffer (one of the chief architects of world prosperity, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump), is "an Internet and social media progeny" poised to play a big role in the future of the supply-side movement.

Their book destroys several myths about capitalism, and nails what is wrong with socialism and communism. First of all, it states that socialism, not capitalism, is the embodiment of cronyism. Socialism is cronyism on steroids. Those at the top receive special benefits, privileges and high incomes, while everyone else fights for a small remainder. Because there is little incentive to put in a healthy day’s work under socialism, there aren’t enough goods and services to go around. The country of Venezuela is a classic example of this. Its leaders live surrounded by vast wealth while the rest of the country stands in bread lines. Capitalism is a threat to the hegemony of their elites.

The authors make the interesting observation that socialism and communism are merely disguised and mechanized forms of feudalism. They ask, “What do cronyism, socialism, fascism, communism and even national socialism have in common? They are all variants of feudalism.” Feudalism rewards people based on their social status. Capitalism rewards people based on their contribution to the general welfare. Feudalists keep people under their control through fear and empty promises.

Perhaps the most interesting observation by the authors is that “Greed is not the foundation of capitalism.” The way it works is capitalism rewards people in proportion to their service to others. A businessman who provides jobs to people will prosper. It is the opposite of greed. Notably, consumerism isn't capitalism. Buying more and more goods simply because you want them is closer to greed, not capitalism.

The resurgence in the popularity of socialism currently is due to the abuses of capitalism, not capitalism itself. Big business today is often in cahoots with big government. And the true name for the mixture of big business with the State is fascism.

Crony capitalism is an oxymoron. If there is cronyism in capitalism, then it’s no longer capitalism. Capitalism is opposed to cronyism. Crony capitalism is a monster that uses the rhetoric of free markets to defend special privileges.

The authors say that calling someone discriminating is a compliment. Discrimination based on legitimate factors makes one discriminating, not discriminatory. Discriminatory means based on prejudice, an invidious quality.

They admit that some success under capitalism is due to luck; not every well-off person got where they’re at due to a Horatio Alger story. But this is still far better than the alternative. Feudalism doles out privileges as a function of elite status.

The authors point out that social insurance programs like Medicare and Social Security are not welfare or entitlements, they are social insurance. They are acceptable. Medicare for All, on the other hand, is welfare.

The German communists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were clever how they pushed people toward communism. In The Communist Manifesto, communism pitted the workers against the middle class, so they’d think the solution was treating everyone exactly the same. Marx popularized the term capitalism and used it as a pejorative. Marx and Engels promised a withering away of the state. But “perversely, their path to eliminating the state was to create a monstrous, overbearing, and monolithic state.”

Capitalism is not a zero-sum game. The workers can also make more money as the wealthy make more money. Wealth is not static. Whereas under feudalism, if one person makes more money, another will make less.

The authors make the interesting observation that people’s health, education, and welfare are becoming recognized as capital. Therefore, it is a function of capitalism for business to invest in these areas regarding their employees.

Finally, the authors note that religion, racism, tribalism, and fanaticism have proven less the cause of war and destruction than feudalism — most notably communism. Unlike other economic systems, capitalism is the only economic system which anyone honestly can point to and say, “it has made substantive progress toward its seemingly utopian aims.”
-------------------
Rachel Alexander @Rach_IC is the editor of the Intellectual Conservative. She also serves as senior editor of The Stream. Article shared at WND.

Tags: Rachel Alexander, Move Over, Communist Manifesto, the Capitalist Manifesto Is Here To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 8:30 AM - Post Link

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home


View U.S. National Debt

Don't miss anything!
Subscribe to the
ARRA News Service
It's FREE & No Ads!

You will receive a verification email
& must validate you subscribed!

You Then Receive One Email Each AM
With Prior Days Articles / Toons / More


Also, Join & leave conservative posts & comments on
Facebook.com/ARRANewsService


Recent Posts:
Personal Tweets by the editor:
Dr. Bill - OzarkGuru - @arra
#Christian Conservative; Retired USAF & Grad Professor. Constitution NRA ProLife schoolchoice fairtax - Editor ARRA NEWS SERVICE. THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!

Action Links!
State Upper & Lower House Members
State Attorney Generals
State Governors
The White House
US House of Representatives
US Senators
GrassFire
NumbersUSA
Ballotpedia

Facebook Accts - Dr. Bill Smith
Pages:
ARRA News Service
Arkansans Against Big Government
Alley-White Am. Legion #52
Catholics & Protestants United Against Discrimination
End Taxpayer Funding of NPR
Overturn Roe V. Wade
Prolife Soldiers
Project Wildfire 4 Life
Republican Liberty Caucus of Arkansas
The Gold Standard
US Atty Gen Loretta Lynch, aka Eric Holder, Must Go
Veterans for Sarah Palin
Why Vote for Hillary (Satire)
FB Groups:
Arkansas For Sarah Palin
Arkansas Conservative Caucus
Arkansas County Tea Party
Arkansans' Discussion Group on National Issues
Blogs for Borders
Conservative Solutions
Conservative Voices
Defend Marriage -- Arkansas
FairTax
FairTax Nation
Arkansas for FairTax
Friends of the TEA Party in Arkansas
Freedom Roundtable
Pro-Life Rocks - Arkansas
Republican Network
Republican Liberty Caucus of AR
Reject the U.N.

Patriots
Exchange
Links

Request Via
Article Comment

Links to ARRA News
A Patriotic Nurse
Agora Associates
a12iggymom's Blog
America, You Asked For It!
America's Best Choice
ARRA News Twitter
As The Crackerhead Crumbles
Blogs For Borders
Blogs for Palin
Blow the Trumpet Ministry
Boot Berryism
Cap'n Bob & the Damsel
Chicago Ray Report - Obama Regime Report
Chuck Baldwin - links
Common Cents
Conservative Voices
Diana's Corner
Greater Fitchburg For Life
Lasting Liberty Blog
Liberal Isn't Amy
Marathon Pundit
Patriot's Corner
Right on Issues that Matter
Right Reason
Rocking on the Right Side
Saber Point
Saline Watchdog
Sultan Knish
The Blue Eye View
The Born Again Americans
TEA Party Cartoons
The Foxhole | Unapologetic Patriot
The Liberty Republican
The O Word
The Path to Tyranny Blog
The Real Polichick
The War on Guns
TOTUS
Twitter @ARRA
Underground Notes
Warning Signs
Women's Prayer & Action
WyBlog

Editor's Managed Twitter Accounts
Twitter Dr. Bill Smith @arra
Twitter Arkansas @GOPNetwork
Twitter @BootBerryism
Twitter @SovereignAllies
Twitter @FairTaxNation

Editor's Recommended Orgs
Accuracy in Media (AIM)
American Action Forum (AAF)
American Committment
American Culture & Faith Institute
American Enterprise Institute
American Family Business Institute
Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Reform
American Security Council Fdn
AR Faith & Ethics Council
Arkansas Policy Foundation
Ayn Rand Institute
Bill of Rights Institute
Campaign for Working Families
CATO Institute
Center for Individual Freedom
Center for Immigration Studies
Center for Just Society
Center for Freedom & Prosperity
Citizens Against Gov't Waste
Citizens in Charge Foundstion
Coalition for the Future American Worker
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Concerned Veterans for America
Concerned Women for America
Declaration of Am. Renewal
Eagle Forum
FairTax
Family Research Council
Family Security Matters
Franklin Center for Gov't & Public Integrity
Freedom Works
Gingrich Productions
Global Incident Map
Great Americans
Gold Standard 2012 Project
Gun Owners of America (GOA)
Heritage Action for America
David Horowitz Freedom Center
Institute For Justice
Institute for Truth in Accounting
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Judicial Watch
Less Government
Media Reseach Center
National Center for Policy Analysis
National Right To Work Foundation
National Rifle Association (NRA)
National Rifle Association (NRA-ILA)
News Busters
O'Bluejacket's Patriotic Flicks
OathKeepers
Open Secrets
Presidential Prayer Team
Religious Freedom Coalition
Renew America
Ron Paul Institute
State Policy Network
Tax Foundation
Tax Policy Center
The Club for Growth
The Federalist
The Gold Standard Now
The Heritage Foundation
The Leadership Institute
Truth in Accounting
Union Facts



Blogs For Borders

Reject the United Nations

Presidential Prayer Team

Thousands of Deadly Islamic Terror Attacks Since 9/11


FairTax Nation on FaceBook
Friends of Israel - Stand with Israel
Blog Feeds
Syndicated - Get the ARRA News Service feed Syndicated!
ARRA Blog Feed

Add to Google Reader or Homepage

Add to The Free Dictionary

Powered by Blogger


  • To Exchange Links - Email: editor@arranewsservice.com!
  • Comments by contributing authors or other sources do not necessarily reflect the position the editor, other contributing authors, sources, readers, or commenters. No contributors, or editors are paid for articles, images, cartoons, etc. While having reported on and promoting principles & beleifs beliefs of other organizations, this blog/site is soley controlled and supported by the editor. This site/blog does not advertise for money or services nor does it solicit funding for its support.
  • Fair Use: This site/blog may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of political, human rights, economic, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as provided for in section Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Per said section, the material on this site/blog is distributed without profit to readers to view for the expressed purpose of viewing the included information for research, educational, or satirical purposes. Any person/entity seeking to use copyrighted material shared on this site/blog for purposes that go beyond "fair use," must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
  • © 2006 - 2020 ARRA News Service
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.