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Here are several statements from people who have thought a lot about this subject, and for a very good video on the morality of free market capitalism see the Walter Williams five minute video on the Woodford Foundation website www.woodfordfoundation.org
"Limited government allows individuals to have choice and control in their own lives. When government is big, it has time to tell us what to do: What type of light bulb to buy, how much salt to eat, what type of health insurance to buy and how we may or may not defend ourselves. Individuals are in the best position to make those decisions for themselves and their families. When government is appropriately limited, it doesn't have time to be nosy or bossy in the lives of individuals." Laura Carno, Founder, I AM Created Equal and author of Government Ruins Nearly Everything.
"We want to limit government because we want to maximize opportunity, enterprise and creativity. We know that it doesn't have anything to give anybody except what it first takes from somebody and then launders through an expensive bureaucracy. We want to limit government because we want to permit individuals to go as far as their talents, ambitions and industry can take them. We want people to have the room to bring their dreams to fruition for themselves and their families. We want to limit government because we want to strengthen other institutions of civil society that tend to shrink as government grows--institutions such as the family, church, synagogue, mosque, community, and the many voluntary associations that form the bedrock of American liberty and self-reliance. And we want to limit government because we've learned from long experience with it--enough to know that it ought properly to be confined to certain critical functions and otherwise leave us alone." Larry Reed, President, Foundation for Economic Education
"Wealth is created through trade, not distributed by kings, emperors, or politicians. The end of feudalism, imperialism, and communism, and the rise in economic freedom has resulted in the most peaceful and prosperous period in human history. Yet, despite this fact, many view capitalism as a threat, and cling to the belief that politicians can legislate human flourishing. Indeed, the lure of socialism is attractive to many, so we must do all we can to educate the average citizen in the private sector on their role in creating prosperity and ensuring freedom. They are the true defenders of liberty, and without them we will lose our battle of ideas. This is why I am committed to the Bastiat Society's mission of educating the business community, and helping them reclaim the moral high ground. Without this, I am afraid history will repeat itself." Brad De Vos, President and CEO, The Bastiat Society International
"Government (by definition) is the organization that deploys the public use of physical force in a territory. Unfortunately, the public overlooks government's basis in force and views it as a beneficent problem-solving machine, a God/Santa Claus. It turns to this institution to address everything that seems to need fixing--education, medical care, the arts, low wages, global warming, racial prejudice, and so on. These programs' unhealthy foundation in coercion leads to the malaise of big government: a) self-dealing, hypocrisy and corruption; b) extreme economic waste; c) bureaucratic systems of control that undermine creativity, idealism, and generosity. We need to remind ourselves that force is an unhealthy foundation for productive human relationships; it therefore makes sense to limit government's involvement in community life." James L. Payne, Ph.D. Payne has taught political science at Yale, Wesleyan, Johns Hopkins, and Texas A&M, and is the author of A History of Force (2004)