The appeal of laissez-faire capitalism, as it spread around the world until it vanquished even the Soviets, was simple: You need neither a change in structures nor a change in human nature. Instead, the bad side of human nature -- the greed, competitiveness, and materialism -- could be counted on to magically produce enough wealth that many people could actually enjoy the easy life that the utopians and commissars could only promise. That is the revolutionary idea of our time, and it has cast into a sepia shadow both Gandhi and Lenin. We distrust moralizing as thoroughly as we distrust government; in a cynical age, our ultimate trust is in the notion that trust is unnecessary, that we should each simply advance our own cause.
Bill McKibben writing for
Mother Jones about the
joys of renunciation.
thanks, riothero.
Comments
"Instead, the bad side of human nature -- the greed, competitiveness, and materialism ..."
You look at man and say, "He has greed. He is competitive. He is materialistic.", and you then say that this is 'bad'. Why? Where do you get the idea that man's nature is bad?
Craig
Posted by: Craig | March 30, 2004 10:23 PM