"Another luxury, I am convinced, are the political attitudes that have come to dominate various sectors of our society, and which never would have become so popular had we had more real problems to deal with.
"Worst among those is the largely Republican belief in the superiority of free markets and the supremacy of private interests." DK
Belief in free markets and the supremacy of private interests long antedate "late" Republicanism, and were part of the liberalism and radicalism of American colonists from before the time of the American Rebellion.
Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations during what was oxymoronically called The Scottish Enlightenment, in March 1776.
Loose practices in the colonies, self dealing, smuggling, piracy, tax evasions, lawlessness in general of all kinds including especially trade, laissez faire on the ground, were already the rule over here.
The weakness of regulation, the weakness of anthority in the colonies, is recounted in many famous works on the period.
No comments:
Post a Comment