OPINION

Page 4

Tuesday, February 17, 1981

The Michigan Daily


A moral deense of the free

market


By Mark Gindin

After coming to college in search of a
stimulating intellectual atmosphere, it
was quite a shock for me to find that
most of the "intellectuals"-at least the
vocal ones - are really quite ignorant
of the real world.
The leftist political environment of
Ann Arbor sends out blazing comets of
liberal rhetoric that demonstrate no
understanding of human nature.
Because of this, it appears that Ann Ar-
bor is without common sense or
morality. I hope I am wrong.
PERHAPS ALL these liberals need to
correct their errant ways is a little ex-
posure to the flip side of the proverbial
coin. Maybe it will even cause them to
understand and agree with what
President Reagan will say in his speech
tomorrow.
In arguing for the "bad" side - or
what is popularly referred to as reac-
tionism in this town - I will set aside
several major points. I will ignore the
fact tht free market capitalism based
on the profit motive has proven the
f4stest way to advance the collective
wealth of a society. I will also ignore the
enormous waste in government
programs, the inefficient, government
control of the economy.
In short, I will ignore the common
sense support a smaller-government
economy, because the free market wins
handily.
INSTEAD, I WILL attempt to deal
with the liberal rhetoric using the
liberal's own weapon - morality. The
morality of the free market is often

questioned by people - especially
liberals and union members. How can a
society without a protective hand, in the
form of government, be a moral alter-
native, they ask.
One peculiar aspect of their entire
argument is that big government ad-
vocates don't look at what they are
defending. They are defending, for the
most part, an ever-growing tendency to
accelerate government control of the
economy and individual incomes. No
free choice is involved with state con-
trol, which is where their so-called
morality pulls them down from their
high pedestal.
IF A PERSON lawfully earns money,
it is my firm belief that the money is his
property. He is completely free to do
as he wishes with it. He can buy food,
gold, or give it away. There may be cer-
tain government functions he should
support with taxes, such as a police for-
ce, a court system, and national defen-
se, but to force him to pay for a gover-
nment service he will not use is wrong.
Legalized robbery, Robin-Hood-style, is
morally inconsistent and cannot be
defended in a free society.
As a by-product of its Robin Hood ac-
tivities, government programs spawn
discrimination, race hatred, and class
jealousy, pitting the citizens against
each other, with government as the
"good guy." Quotas, affirmative ac-
tion, progressive income tax, and
special grants to minorities are all
catalysts of rivalry and hatred. Are
freedom and a socialist economy the
price of "Equality?"
The expanding power of the federal
government is, as of this moment,
heading out of control. In 1962 the
budget reached $100 billion for the first

if cuts must be made. But Budget
Director David Stockman's modest
cuts are meeting with resistance from-
self-centered spendthrift fools. Just
watch the poor get helped by them.
Another peculiar aspect of the lef-
tists' refusal to accept capitalism,
besides their unwillingness to look at
what they are defending, is their
refusal to look at what they are at-
tacking. They ignore, in addition to all
the things I ignored at the outset, the
morality of the free market.
CAPITALISM IS THE freedom to do
with your property, or capital, as you
wish. Nobody is forced to do anything
they don't want to except in leftist
propaganda. There is not anything
more moral than capitalism.
There are still the government ser-
vices essential to a peaceful society, but
the freedom of choice remains. Even if
capitalism was less productive than a
planned economy, I would still prefer it
because of the morality inherent in the
system.
Now consider the liberal frothing-at-
the-mouth this argument receives.
Mainly, the liberal rhetoric centers on
concern for the welfare of the poor, the
helplessness of the worker, and the vic-
timized consumer. I wish I had space to
AP Photo answer them in detail, but I will attem-
pt to provide someinsight into the
is speech "selfish capitalist" point of view con-
ment are cerning compassion.
Based on statistics regarding the rise
of welfare programs and the stability of
the number of poor "beneficiaries," I
en adding maintain that the progress of society in
cit will hit an entirely free market is far better for
interest the standard of living of the poor than
illion this the "progressive" social welfare
rd largest programs. Technological progress has
urity and helped the poor and the worker more
ation ap- than government regulations and other
ficit, even benefits.

THE WHOLE controversy regarding
"consumer protection" seems to boil:
down to one basic point: It is the con-
sumer who pays in the long run. He
pays for the regulations, the immoral
transfer payments, the drop in produc-
tivity with a large government
parasite, as well as government-
produced recessions and inflations. It is,
hard to imagine a consumer more vic
timized than that. And everybody is a,
consumer.
In the free market, what is demanded,
is supplied, efficiently and fairly,
without the parasite. It matters not-
whether the demand is for cheap health
care, bank services, McDonald's,
energy supplies, the Salvation Army;,
insurance, or typewriters. The supply
will keep up with demand unless there
is an outside force. The consumer,
despite what Ralph Nader says, is the
master in a free market society.
Morality rules.
ON THE OTHER hand, no matter
how sincere the people involved, when
the mixed or socialist economy takes
over the duties of the free market, it
always does a worse job.
But even if the planned, or socialist,
economy did function efficiently, it is
still morally repulsive and should be
stopped, as David Stockman and
President Reagan are trying to do.
Why is it that the enemies of freedom
are always the nicest people. while the
defenders of freedom always seem to
be mean? Maybe someday it will
change.
Until then, listen to the President's
speech tomorrow with an open mind.
And remember that any cut is a good
cut.
Mark Gindin is a Daily staff
writer.

PRESIDENT REAGAN STUDIES economic notes in preparation for h
tomorrow. The Reagan administration feels cutbacks in governi
necessary to curb an over-sized and restrictive bureaucracy.

time. Since 1977 it has increased by $122
billion. In other words, the budget has
grown as much in the past two years as
it did during this country's first 175
years. All Reagan said he is going to do
is slow the growth of government. And
even these growth cuts will be met with
liberal screams of pain.

THE DEFICITS HAVE bee
up, also. The total federal defi
$1 trillion next year. The
payment on the debt is $80 b
year. That number is the thi
budget item after social sec
defense. Only this administn
pears to want an end to the de

II

Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan

Vol. XCI, No:118

420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

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Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board

Neglecting the elderly

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N ITS EFFORTS TO eliminate
government waste and cut the
budget the Reagan Administration has
once again shown its disregard for the
nation's poor and elderly. The Ad-
ministration reportedly may seek
more than $2 billion in cuts in
Medicare, Medicaid, and other health
care programs.
The need for limited cuts in the
budget is obvious - but not at the ex-
pense of vital human services. Good
health care is a commodity which
should not be denied anyone regardless
of age or financial status.h
By making such a, cut, the Ad-
ministration may well forget a very
important sector of the United States'
population. We must insure a

reasonable standard of living for our
nation's elderly.
Even Dr. James Sammons, vice
president of the American Medical
Association - long-time opponents of
Medicare and Medicaid - assailed the
Administration for these severe
slashes. "When you start manipulating
a system that treats three million
people a day you'd better be a little
careful before jumping off the cliff,"
he said.
The Reagan Administration must
not make such dramatic cuts in ser-
vices that are so vital to the well being
of the American people. Cuts may have
to be made in federal spending, but the
needs of no segment of the country's
population can be neglected.

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Ah, mid-winter break. (They used to call it
"Spring Brepk," when it was a week later.)
The time of year when a young man's fancy
turns to thoughts of ... Florida.
Fort Lauderdale. Daytona. Miami.
Thousands of Michigan men, mostly frater-
nity brethren, will descend upon these tropical
oases, ready to star in their own X-rated ver-
sions of Beach Blanket Bingo, in search of
nubile beach goddesses.
The lucky ones will only get sunburned. The
unlucky ones will get alcohol poisoning. None

Witticisms
By Howard Witt

DONG: "SHUT UP, Four Eyes. You can't
even drink Miller Low Life without praying to
the porcelain god!"
Grub: "I wanna chick. Where's da chicks?"
Slick: "Soon, Grub, soon."
Four Eyes: "Hey, anybody seen my
Michigan mug? I can't go to Florida without
my Michigan mug. I take my Michigan mug
everywhere."
Dong: "Here it is, next to your mirror
Foster Grants."
Grub: "I wanna chick."
Slick: "All right, who spilled the Copper-
tone on my Topsiders?"
Dong: "It's not Coppertone. It's Grub's K-Y
Jelly."
Slick: "Aw, dammit, Grub!"
Grub: "I wanna chick. I wanna wench. I
wanna beer."
FOUR EYES: "WHAT about my Block-M
baseball cap? I can't find my Block-M
baseball cap! And my maize-and-blue Speedo
swimsuit!"
Dong: "Don't worry about the mess, Slick.
You can always wear your penny loafers. Or
your Frye boots. Or your Timberlands."
Slick: "Yeah. At least he didn't get
anything on my 'Michigan Men Do it Deeper'
t-shirt."
Four Eyes: "Whaddaya mean, yopr t-
shirt? I traded you for that one last week,
remember? I gave you the 'Beaver Patrol' t-
shirt!"

brother. You know our fraternity pledge:
'Through thick and thin, WASP and JAP, in-
out, in-out . .
Four Eyes: "I remember when we initiated
you, Dong. Remember that string we tied on
you that hung out of your fly and said 'Pull
Hard'?"
Dong: "Can it, will ya?"
Slick: "Hey, dong-Didja get the you-know-
whats? With the ribs and studs on 'em?"
Dong: "Yeah, I bought 'em over at the U-
Cellar. Lubercated and everything. I told the
cashier I was gonna lay some pipe tonight."
GRUB: "LAY SOME pipe. Lay some pipe.
Four Eyes: "Slip 'er the old salami!"
Slick: "Drive it home!"
Dong: "Relax, boys. God, what are ya, un-
dersexed?"
Four Eyes: "Well, we can't all make it with
those Little Sisters."
Dong: "You used ta make it with your little
sister!"
Four Eyes: "Shut up, stud!"
Slick: "C'mon. Let's go to Charley's."
Four Eyes: "Nah-too many wise guy Psi
Chis."
Dong: "Yeah-and a lotta Delta Omega
Gammas!"
Slick: "Dogs! That's pretty funny, Dong!"
Grub: "Beer Vault. I wanna chick. Beer
vault."
Dong: Good idea, Grub. Everybody pile in
for the Beer Vault. Last one in is a jerk-off!"

of them will get beach goddesses. The beach
goddesses know better-they stay away from
slobbering frat boys.
BUT THAT TRUTH won't stop the male
hordes. It's an annual ritual, like the buzzards
returning to Hinckley. They go so they can
say they went. Veni, vidi, vici. Or so they
hope.

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