The Vile Maxim of The Masters

The Alberton Papers Vol. VI, #I
By Dick Darne 3-25-08
"Well, the chamomile tea sure smooths out your tummy and calms your faculties"
said Bill. "If it was good enough for Peter Rabbit then it’s good enough for me."
"So, these guys just kept on ‘communicating’ to us working folks about the wonders of the ‘Free Market’ and being fiercely independent, neither asking for help from any man nor giving help to any man. If anyone couldn’t realize the American Dream, then it must be a moral failure on their part." added Johnny.
"What they conveniently failed to disclose to us peons was that they meant ‘Free Market’ for us and the Nanny State for themselves." explained Todd. "Corporate welfare far, far exceeds welfare for the general populace. People pulling together towards a common goal, benefitting all, is anathema to them. Better to have ‘everyone for himself’, ‘survival of the fittest’, anything to divide and conquer."
"Remember the nutcase up north of here, still in the legislature I think, who advocated teaching Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’ in our classrooms, as do a lot of the ‘Free Marketeers’?" asked Bill. "Most of them probably never actually read it but are quick to selectively quote it. I slogged through it and found it hard going, only a glutton for punishment would relish a cover to cover journey. I do remember a couple things that stood out that these guys never mention. First is old Adam’s bit about the division of labor, how it turned men into wretches. The second is ‘The Vile Maxim of The Masters’ in which he described it as ‘all for me, nothing for anyone else.’ "
"Unregulated, free market capitalism was also described by Keynes as: ‘an extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all.’ " added Todd. "Don’t get me wrong, I believe in our system, but it does need a bit of regulating from time to time."
"It surely shouldn’t be naming bridges, schools and hospitals after the ‘Captains of Industry’ who in most cases are nothing more than plundering, pillaging buccaneers." exclaimed Gno, who once again proved he wasn’t sleeping. "And maybe our fearless leaders should stop trying to define the ‘American Dream’ and focus on ‘The Dreams of Americans’. Just what would Jesus do? Seems like the only butts he ever kicked was the moneychangers. We not only need to be informed, but we all need long memories."
Tune in next week, when our guest Professor Sven Berkowitz from the NoDak Institute of Financial Technology will explain just where all this lost money goes and how it relates to ‘The Vile Maxim of The Masters’. Thanks to all my faithful readers for slogging thru 100 of the Alberton Papers. dd