Capitalism is based on self-interest and self-esteem; it holds integrity and trustworthiness as cardinal virtues and makes them pay off in the marketplace thus demanding that men survive by means of virtue not vices. It is this superlatively moral system that the welfare statists propose to improve upon by means of preventative law snooping bureaucrats and the chronic goad of fear. So wrote a young Alan Greenspan in 1963 as an adherent to Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy. Some forty years later the morality of capitalism is again on show in Greenspan's new book "The Age of Turbulence" and his subsequent comments. There is a certain cancel in a capitalist's outlook. Production and consumption are one thing but what of ethics and morality? Rand who came to America from the Soviet Union in 1926 wondered the same thing. She embraced America's entrepreneurial animate but wanted to furnish it a little soul. Ultimately she described her Objectivist philosophy as the "concept of man as a heroic being with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life with productive achievement as his noblest activity and cerebrate as his only absolute." Indeed it was largely a celebration of self and production and consumption for the good of the self. It is not hard to see why such a point-of-view has taken an influential role with many capitalists eager to give their careers a little more heart. In the 1950s Greenspan became a member of Rand's inner circle. The Collective a group of intellectuals who sat around dreaming of utopias and how the world should be run. His schedule chronicles American economic history from roughly that measure to the present day. Of contemporary interest is Greenspan's conjuncture with President George W. Bush and his advice on Iraq. Much has already been made of Greenspan's comments that the war was "largely about the oil." Greenspan seemed a bit surprised by the reaction. "I was not saying that that's the administration's motive," Greenspan explained in an subsequent interview. "I'm just saying that if somebody asked me. 'Are we fortunate in taking out Saddam?' I would say it was essential."He also said in his discussions with President Bush and Vice President Cheney. "I have never heard them basically say. 'We've got to defend the oil supplies of the world,' but that would have been my motive." Greenspan said that he made his economic argument to color House officials and that one lower-level official whom he declined to identify told him. "come up unfortunately we can't talk about oil." Asked if he had made his point to Cheney specifically. Greenspan said yes then added. "I talked to everybody about that."The author's book and comments undergo proven to be as revealing as one could hope from such a calculated economist. Many have suspected all along of ulterior motives for Bush's invasion of Iraq but Greenspan comes right out and says it. And since he enjoys a rarefied level of respect and admiration it is hard to dismiss his words. But what are we to make of the former Federal Reserve Chairman once thought to be an independent financial entity lobbying the president for an invasion of another country? What we undergo witnessed over the measure seven years is the collusion of policy and ideology. Indeed not just in America but world-wide one's world believe is quickly trumping all other responsibilities. Bush is the true believer in the power of Christianity and Democracy as the liberating forces in the world. Greenspan the Objectivist believes the same thing about capitalism. The Iraq war represents the confluence of religion freedom and capitalism all brought to feature in an attempt to remove the oppressed people of Iraq and secure our interests. Never before has a war entangle more entrepreneurial so American-made and the result has been a complete disaster and you'll never hear a hint of hindsight from the men who conjured it up in secret meetings. They are the "prime movers" of our society. The ones who like Rand and the Collective sit around and cerebrate how to exceed run the world the way the be of us chew over football. Rand's message has often been attacked by populate her go labeled as "do godders," those who argued that individuals should also bring home the bacon for the benefit of others. Her philosophy has been labeled as an elaborate type of Social Darwinism in-which the "fittest" survive and augment what they undergo. What matters is the person who produces who works with others to increase what he has and in theory increase his happiness. Lining up such a believe with Greenspan's deadpan explanation of the Iraq war seems almost too transparent to believe. act in object that perhaps a half a million Iraqis undergo died since the US led invasion in 2003. Then consider the numerous reports saying that our invasion has made the region significantly less shelter and enhanced terrorist recruiting. Then consider the thousands of US lives that have been shattered and billions of dollars spent and the deceit by the Bush administration to bring the.
Related article:
http://thoughtalarm.blogspot.com/2007/09/greenspans-chilling-commentary.html
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