Assume The Worst About People And You

Democracy And Markets Are Both Fundamental Building Blocks For A Decent Society. But They Clash At A Fundamental Level. We Need To Balance Them.

The Free Market Doesn't Exist. Every Market Has Some Rules And Boundaries That Restrict Freedom Of Choice. A Market Looks Free Only Because We So Unconditionally Accept Its Underlying Restrictions That We Fail To See Them.

Above A Certain Level Of Income, The Relative Value Of Material Consumption Vis-a-vis Leisure Time Is Diminished, So Earning A Higher Income At The Cost Of Working Longer Hours May Reduce The Quality Of Your Life. More Importantly, The Fact That The Citizens Of A Country Work Longer Than Others In Comparable Countries Does Not Necessarily Mean That They Like Working Longer Hours. They May Be Compelled To Work Long Hours, Even If They Actually Want To Take Longer Holidays.

Equality Of Opportunity Is Meaningless For Those Who Do Not Have The Capabilities To Take Advantage Of It.

Between The Great Depression And The 1970s, Private Business Was Viewed With Suspicion Even In Most Capitalist Economies. Businesses Were, So The Story Goes, Seen As Anti-social Agents Whose Profit-seeking Needed To Be Restrained For Other, Supposedly Loftier, Goals, Such As Justice, Social Harmony, Protection Of The Weak And Even National Glory.