In the illustrated economic poem below, the author shows how the free enterprise system – with supposedly no one in control – can deliver bread in a great variety, and more cheaply than a socialist system.
A socialist system would have some “bread czar” making decisions about what sort, and how much, bread would be made, but then he’d also have to decide how much rye or wheat would have to be planted, and also what other crops would have to be curtailed to make room for the wheat crops. To keep everyone happy, from the rye lover to the white bread aficionado, to the gluten intolerant chap, the number of decisions this bread czar would have to make would be beyond the ability of any single human being – or even a government department – to manage competently.
The video is fantastic, but it’s missing something vital – the author, Russ Roberts, doesn’t see the Christian connection. He says that the ability of the free enterprise system to deliver hot, fresh, affordable bread in an abundance of varieties each and every day is something “no one intends” and “no one has to orchestrate it. It’s the product of our actions but no single mind’s designed it.”
The truth is different. No human mind designed it, but the foundational principles of the free market system – what makes it work – are Christian principles given by God.
- Do not worship other gods – Whereas the 1st Commandment (Ex. 20:3) teaches us not to turn to other gods, Socialism is dependent on someone at the top being near-omnipotent, knowing all the right moves to make for the betterment of everyone.
- Don’t steal – The 8th Commandment (Ex. 20:15) make clear God’s intent for us to be able to own property, while Socialism takes away property rights.
- Don’t covet – Socialism wants to know what everyone makes while the 10th Commandment (Ex. 20:17) forbids us from looking over the fence to see what our neighbor has got. This commandment frees us to develop what God has given us (Matt 25:14-30) instead of minding our neighbor’s business.
Other biblical texts could be highlighted and explored but the point is, the reason the free market works as well as it does is that, in these commandments and more, it better lines up with what God commands. And when we obey these commands, then His is the “invisible hand” guiding farmers, mills, bakers, and consumers to arrive at this wonderful loaf.
(h/t to Albert Van der Linden)
