The world is a messed-up place. Let's get that out of the way up front. Atrocities of unimaginable consequence are inflicted upon innocent people every day -- by nature, by governments and by religious leaders. There are not enough soldiers or enough money to make it all go away.
Which is why I'm consistently surprised when American intellectuals get their hackles up about one cause or another. They get on cable TV and rail against Vladimir Putin while turning a blind eye to Kim Jong-un. They demand we intervene against Joseph Kony and ignore the other warlords of the world. It's like their bleeding hearts only palpitate when the crisis in question can be useful fodder for the next Manhattan cocktail party.
But even when the white-collar crowd agrees upon a chosen cause celebre -- this week everybody's an expert on Ukraine -- they still can't agree what, exactly, should be done about it. Should we send in the troops? No, of course not. Cocktail parties tend to frown upon the unwashed masses in the military. A strongly worded letter from "the international community" is typically about as far as they're willing to go. Dictators will be shakin' in their boots at the UN's card stock, I'm sure.
The root of the problem is people of a certain persuasion have no clue why they get to sip $12 martinis while other parts of the world burn. They don't understand why America became successful, and that lack of understanding leads to guilt. Call it the lottery winner's curse: If you believe your success was caused by dumb luck, then by extension, the rest of the world is just unlucky.
I listened to a pair of college professors last week who each reinforced this disconnect. One ruminated on what the U.S. could do to help the rest of the world, while the other listed four reasons the West found prosperity. Neither of them mentioned the C-word.
Capitalism is keen. And it's not a four-letter word.
Through all of human history, the free market has proven to be the one silver bullet capable of slaying the world's myriad ills. It's singularly responsible for America's prosperity, and spreading its tenets is the best possible thing we could do to help our fellow men and women. Anyone who steps back and takes an impartial look at the evolution of the world can come to no other conclusion. Wherever the free market has been given the reins of society, economic success has followed closely thereafter.
So why are we so reluctant to acknowledge its role as an effective, efficient engine of good will? The retort goes capitalism gave the world slavery, pollution and a host of other negative externalities. But considering those things predated capitalism and exist at exponentially higher levels in noncapitalist countries, it doesn't take a Ph.D. to determine this particular chicken didn't lay those eggs.
In New York City tonight, some debutante and her prospective beau will stand on some balcony and look out over the skyscrapers, each edifice a testament to what a society can accomplish through the profit motive. They'll talk about Russia or Syria or Greece, and they'll lament the troubles of people there. They'll suggest "international peacekeepers" or maybe the World Bank as possible solutions.
Yet there in front of them will be the most impressive city on earth, built brick-by-brick through the effort of individuals compelled to create great things for no other reason than their own self-interest. Standing on an embodiment of capitalism, they'll wonder what could be done to help heal the world. The answer can't be seen, but it sure isn't luck. The invisible hand of the market is the best hand-up ever devised.
Commentary on 03/14/2014