While reading the Daily Campus several days ago, I came across an article that seemed contradictory on the most basic of levels: SMU “going green.” The article touted the school’s notable contributions to an environmentally friendly atmosphere and explained the school’s commitment to leading the way among universities in fighting the misuse of natural resources.
But while walking around campus, I have to say that the one thing that has definitely gone green is our lawn. When I look at this, I cannot help but imagine the thousands of gallons of water that are used to beautify our landscape. Hence my confusion. I thought “going green” would mean curbing waste. But this is just an example of the hypocrisy that is so prevalent among our species. We maintain values until they no longer seem so useful, in which case we dispose of them in search of something more practical.
In reading the headlines for the past several weeks, I have witnessed what I can only describe as the falling of capitalism as the American people grow tired of the economic system that has served them so well for 200 years. The ideals of laissez-faire economics were emphasized by our forefathers and are promoted in the very constitution of our country. Therefore, we must recognize that to forsake them is to abandon the very principles that have held our nation together and the epitome of hypocrisy. Among these self-destructive attacks on capitalism are the bailouts that have occurred and are likely to keep occurring, the declaration of war that the Obama administration has made on the income gap, and the entire idea of a stimulus package (if it can be called that!).
The bailouts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with the auto industry, must be recognized as socialism. When the United States government bought the controlling interest in the two financial giants, most people believed it to be a move that would eliminate corruption and uphold efficiency. But the success on these fronts is irrelevant. The simple fact of the matter is that the government has now begun buying private companies, meaning that it can make decisions like how much money its executives can make. In making this decision and others like it, the government has deliberately stuck its thumb in the private sector. All I have to say is that when I was perusing the definition of laissez-faire, I failed to find that sentence that says “WARNING: please disregard all of the following should your nation succumb to a nasty mortgage crisis.” In fact, all I could find was “NO GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION.” Stupid definitions. They have no vision.
Another attack on the ideals of capitalism has come directly from the Obama administration, which has effectively labeled the income gap evil. The most counterintuitive of these attacks is the proposed increase on the capital gains tax for the wealthy. The capital gains tax is placed on profits that are made by investors in the stock market. With the DJIA and S&P 500 tanking, I thought the idea was to get investment to – what’s the word? – go up! Placing a tax on potential profits increases the risk and decreases the potential reward of investment, and I don’t think it takes an economic genius to see that this is not what we need right now.
The latest stimulus package is perhaps the greatest of all the attacks on our founding principles. In his first major press conference on Monday night, President Obama stated that the private sector is so weak that “only the government can revive it.” In response, all I have to say is that when people say, “desperate times call for desperate measures,” I say “grab your Constitution and hold on for dear life.” This stimulus package demonstrates the current administration’s failure to recognize history and disregard for the constitutional process: capitalism is inherent in our constitution and has transformed this nation of farmers into the technological power of the 21st century. Emphasizing the power of the individual and rewarding hard work, capitalism has allowed every individual to pursue happiness. When we hit the stumbling blocks we must hold onto our principles, not forsake them.
The following words were contributed by the late Dr. Adrian Rogers. I hope they will be a reminder to our nation of the values and principles it was built on:
“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that, my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”
Alex Ehmke is a freshman political science, economics, and public policy triple major. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
