“Capitalism is a necessary condition for freedom but not a Sufficient Condition, “says Milton Friedman. What is the Difference Between Capitalism, Communism, and Socialism?
As nations watch the country of Venezuela go through an economic crisis, we see the effects of turning to the government instead of God. Just because a socialist government offers to provide all our needs and wants does not mean that is what the result will be. Socialism and communism are temptations for human nature. As Americans, do we see this reality as a possibility in our own lives or do we separate ourselves from its reality? Regardless of what the present economy may be like now, imagine the economy crashing. Imagine the dollar not being worth what it is today. The tragic realities of the Weimar Republic, and now Venezuela, are real for every currency and economy that can lose its value.
We can go back to the 1960’s and see what was taking place in America. Saul Alinsky, along with Hillary Clinton and others were confronting capitalism and many were looking for socialism to be put in place. In an interview, Milton Friedman answers questions concerning this issue and about government and equality in America. He starts with answering a question concerning how countries like America became wealthy so fast due to slavery and what that has to do with Capitalism. Milton answers, “Capitalism is not a sufficient condition for freedom. It’s a necessary condition. I never said where you have capitalism; you have freedom…where ever you have freedom, you have capitalism. Capitalism is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition.” There is a more perfect union written about in the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, but there is no perfect union. Fighting against our government and authority like the police is fighting against freedom. Many things in America are pointing to people fighting against freedom. Our rights and freedom come from God and as Americans, we should repent of turning from God and turn back to God!
In America, we already have equality because it is written in the Constitution, but there are still people fighting for equality. “A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both,” says Milton Friedman. If we want freedom, we will need to put freedom first. We go into a place of captivity when we turn our back on God, and we will lose our freedom if we, as Americans, do not turn back to God as a nation!
The author of The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman commented about this interesting reality. ‘Every 5th generation loses what the 1st generation gained’. This is close to what Milton Friedman also said,
“Those of us who have been so fortunate as to have been born in a free society tend to take freedom for granted and regard it as a natural state of mankind. It is not. It is a rare and precious thing: most people throughout history – most people today – have lived in conditions of tyranny and misery; not of freedom and prosperity.”
We don’t want tyranny we want God! This is what communism and socialism bring, tyranny. Capitalism which is what America was founded on has brought prosperity and freedom to many, and it continues to bring it to the people in America. Let us choose not to be caught up in the world’s cry for socialism but instead stand for the freedom that America was founded on. What do you think about this conversation? We want to hear from you! You can write to us at [email protected]. Greg and Steve shared in this segment.
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