Difference between revisions of "Invisible Hand"
From Critiques Of Libertarianism
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Why do people prattle about "as if an invisible hand" when it is government alone that visibly constrains the businessmen to mere economic competition rather than the violence, monopoly and theft of mafias? It is government that visibly constrains the consumer to mere purchase rather than ignoring the system of property and anarchistically using whatever is desired, either peacefully or forcefully. It is that government coercion that redistributes from the businessman to the consumer a large part of the consumer surplus. It is that government coercion that allows the accumulation of property that permits civilization. | Why do people prattle about "as if an invisible hand" when it is government alone that visibly constrains the businessmen to mere economic competition rather than the violence, monopoly and theft of mafias? It is government that visibly constrains the consumer to mere purchase rather than ignoring the system of property and anarchistically using whatever is desired, either peacefully or forcefully. It is that government coercion that redistributes from the businessman to the consumer a large part of the consumer surplus. It is that government coercion that allows the accumulation of property that permits civilization. | ||
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| + | Incredible, pervasive coercion is necessary to create markets. Coercive threats are necessary to property: they limit the power and freedom of individuals to use the wealth that surrounds us that belongs to others. Coercive threats limit the power and freedom of businesses to become mafias. If this seems like an "invisible hand", it is only because it is all-pervasive like the air we breathe at all times. | ||
According to [http://ngrams.googlelabs.com/graph?content=invisible+hand&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=0&smoothing=3 Google Books Ngram Viewer], usage of this term has increased threefold since 1960. This might have to do with increasing promotion of capitalism as neoliberal propaganda. | According to [http://ngrams.googlelabs.com/graph?content=invisible+hand&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=0&smoothing=3 Google Books Ngram Viewer], usage of this term has increased threefold since 1960. This might have to do with increasing promotion of capitalism as neoliberal propaganda. | ||
