The Best Way to Debate Economic Conservatives [View all]
Modern American conservatives, when discussing economics, specifically in regards to the roles of government in regulating the economy, will expect you, as a progressive, to quote from Marx. This is amusing, since very few of us actually read Marx (I do recommend it, he has some provocative ideas), but they expect it because it's what they've been told we follow by their Pied Pipers on Fox News or Clear Channel.
In reality our views come from a wide variety of places: personal experience, a basic sense of decency towards our fellow humans, and a deep respect for the observable and measurable sciences.
There is one source of progressive economic principles that we should not ignore, however, and it is one I have found to be the absolute best at leaving modern American economic conservatives picking themselves off the floor in disarray:
Adam Smith, the father of capitalism.
Here's just a few of his many quotes that I love:
On government's role in regulating business: "Whenever the legislature attempts to regulate the differences between masters and their workmen, its counselors are always the masters. When the regulation, therefore, is in favor of the workmen, it is always just and equitable; but it is sometimes otherwise when in favor of the masters."
On progressive taxation: "“It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion.”
On a strong middle class and a minimum wage: "No society can surely be flourishing and happy of which by far the greater part of the numbers are poor and miserable. ”
On wage inequality: "In regards to the price of commodities, the rise of wages operates as simple interest does, the rise of profit operates like compound interest. Our merchants and masters complain much of the bad effects of high wages in raising the price and lessening the sale of goods. They say nothing concerning the bad effects of high profits. They are silent with regard to the pernicious effects of their own gains. They complain only of those of other people.”
And of course, the cure-all for conservatism in general:
"Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.”
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