Why Do The Defenders Of Capitalism Never Have Any Money?

The political left seems to have unlimited funds to spread its poison. Meanwhile, promoting free markets and capitalism is almost always done on the cheap. It shouldn’t be this way. The individuals and businesses that have enjoyed the bountiful fruits of capitalism should generously support those who fight on the ground to keep government from choking the only arrangement that has produced widespread prosperity.

The Democrats and their big tent of progressives, socialists, Marxists, Leninists and Maoists not only have infinite in-kind contributions from a friendly press, they are well funded by the wealthy who have chosen to subsidize virulent anti-capitalists. Think of George Soros. Reid Hoffman. Neville Roy Singham. Michael Bloomberg. Walmart heir Christy Walton. There are hundreds of other rich Americans who became wealthy through the blessings of capitalism, yet give large sums to politicians and organizations that intensely oppose the system that made it possible for them to succeed.

There are some prominent financial supporters of capitalism — the Koch brothers, the Wilks brothers, the Mellons, Adelsons, Uihleins, as well as Elon Musk, Ken Griffin and Scott Banister, of whom we recently just became aware — who understand the importance of protecting capitalism from the vandals on the left. But there are too many capitalists who inexplicably don’t feel the need to fund the guardians of capitalism. Their donations could help offset the big money that finances politicians and groups whose goal is to kill the based-in-liberty system that allowed them to generate great wealth. They seem to not understand that if they don’t battle for what is theirs, it will be taken from them and their heirs.

Yes, Republicans are spending heavily on the midterm elections. This is necessary to keep the left from accruing more political power, which it will use to ruin the great American experiment of liberty and economic freedom. But Republicans have not been reliable defenders of capitalism.

From our experience, we’ve learned that defending capitalism through the intellectual and moral arguments made by nonprofits in Washington and elsewhere, and through media outlets, which know that without capitalism we are uncivilized louts, is a perpetual strain because there’s never enough money to fend off the left.

Ideally, there would be no reason to have think tanks and media that are dedicated to safeguarding capitalism. All voters would understand how, as legendary economist Milton Friedman observed, that “never in history has there been a more effective machine for eliminating poverty than the free-enterprise system and the free market.” But our country, in fact the developed West, is impaired by thoughtlessness, ignorance and incomplete public school educations that are exploited by the vicious plunderers and radicals on the political left who crave power.

There has never been a means by which millions have become so prosperous that they live better than the kings and queens of previous generations other than through capitalism, which is simply the financial interactions that take place when people are allowed to trade freely among themselves. It’s as natural to humanity as socialism, communism, central planning and forced wealth redistribution is unnatural. It is not based on greed, but on mutual cooperation.

Socialism, however, runs on greed, on the envy of another’s success, on covetousness and resentment. The organizing principle is to take, by force, if necessary, the property of producers and funnel it to the violent leaders who will hoard it for themselves. If allowed to run wild, it will crush all the great benefits capitalism has produced.

— Written by the I&I Editorial Board

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