Editors at Issues and Insights ask why capitalism’s defenders never seem to have money to defend the free-enterprise system.
The political left seems to have unlimited funds to spread its poison. Meanwhile, promoting free markets and capitalism is almost always done on the cheap. It shouldn’t be this way. The individuals and businesses that have enjoyed the bountiful fruits of capitalism should generously support those who fight on the ground to keep government from choking the only arrangement that has produced widespread prosperity.
The Democrats and their big tent of progressives, socialists, Marxists, Leninists and Maoists not only have infinite in-kind contributions from a friendly press, they are well funded by the wealthy who have chosen to subsidize virulent anti-capitalists. Think of George Soros. Reid Hoffman. Neville Roy Singham. Michael Bloomberg. Walmart heir Christy Walton. There are hundreds of other rich Americans who became wealthy through the blessings of capitalism, yet give large sums to politicians and organizations that intensely oppose the system that made it possible for them to succeed.
There are some prominent financial supporters of capitalism — the Koch brothers, the Wilks brothers, the Mellons, Adelsons, Uihleins, as well as Elon Musk, Ken Griffin and Scott Banisteer, of whom we recently just became aware — who understand the importance of protecting capitalism from the vandals on the left. But there are too many capitalists who inexplicably don’t feel the need to fund the guardians of capitalism. Their donations could help offset the big money that finances politicians and groups whose goal is to kill the based-in-liberty system that allowed them to generate great wealth. They seem to not understand that if they don’t battle for what is theirs, it will be taken from them and their heirs.
Yes, Republicans are spending heavily on the midterm elections. This is necessary to keep the left from accruing more political power, which it will use to ruin the great American experiment of liberty and economic freedom. But Republicans have not been reliable defenders of capitalism.
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