Economic Policy Journal: Opinion: Robert Ringer: The Individual Versus the State

Ayn Rand

I’ve been reading going on for about five years or so now since I started blogging about what is called Laissez-Fair capitalism. Which means government out of the economy.

Well lets think about that for a minute to examine what that actually means. Gone would be a public welfare state or safety net. Gone would be government regulations. Gone would be taxpayer funded government subsidies to business’s. Gone would be anti-union and union-busting laws. Because again government would be out of the economy. Remember Libertarians are supposed to be anti-union, but want government out of the economy. Yet they support anti-union union-busting laws. They are trying to have it both ways.

Instead of the “individual versus the state” how about we have the individual working with the state. The state there to protect people from predators. Which is really is what government regulations are supposed to be about. With the individual having complete control over their own personal and economic affairs as long as they aren’t hurting innocent people either personally or economically. And yes that is where government comes to deal with predators. As well as have government there to see that all individuals have the opportunity to succeed in life. Whether they are currently kids in school, or low-skilled adults working or not.

What I’m talking about is liberal capitalism which is different from both social democracy which is built around the central government being there to take care of everyone. Or Laissez-Fair capitalism that gets the government completely out of the economy and lets nature take its course so to speak.

Its liberal capitalism and what Americans have done to take advantage of those opportunities that has built America. Not social democracy that is built around one big central government to take care of everyone. Or Laissez-Fair capitalism with government doing nothing.