July 22, 2020: Thoughts on capitalism and freedom

The number beliefs people "get wrong" about capitalism and freedom never ceases to amaze me.

“He who seeks freedom for anything but freedom’s self is made to be a slave. Those who only value liberty for their sake have never preserved it long.” Alexis de Tocqueville, 1856

“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” George Orwell.

“Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right to do what we ought.” John Dalberg-Acton

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.” Abraham Lincoln

“Contrast the American assertion from our Declaration of Independence – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – with the comparable French motto – liberte, egalite, fraternite – both from the late eighteenth century and the time of their respective revolutions. These simple phrases demonstrate a marked difference in the two cultures and the political system and rights that emerged from this thinking. The American motto emphasizes more individual pursuits, not equal outcomes; the French belief is in a collective, socialist philosophy, not individual freedom.”

Peter Lorenzi