uncommonwealth - Uncommon Wealth Sir Winston Churchill once...

Uncommon Wealth
Sir Winston Churchill once remarked, “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal
sharing of blessings.” (Russo, 2005) This may very well be so. In fact, one of the most
compelling difficulties currently facing capitalist society is the modern welfare state. There
are two sides to the current debate circling welfare. Many state that welfare is necessary in
order to protect the economy and the property of individual citizens – not to mention the role
welfare plays in working towards a more secure society (i.e. reduction in and prevention of
crime). On the other hand, there are some who argue that welfare only promotes sloth and
encourages the recipient of the monthly welfare check to live more or less comfortably
unemployed; others still believe that welfare is a farce and claim that fraudulence seeps
throughout the entire welfare state. (Jost, 1992) Both sides are at odds against each other,
for both have different ideas of the role that government should play in the lives of citizens
with regard to an individual man’s property. To decide on the role that welfare should play
(if any at all) in a capitalist society like the United States, we must attempt to understand
capitalism and what it stands for.
To truly understand any field, it certainly helps the effort if one considers its origins.
John Locke is by no means the “Father” of Capitalism. This position has already been
usurped by Adam Smith, due mostly to the ongoing influence his Wealth of Nations has had
on the way nations form and run their economies. Adam Smith emphasized that the ideal
economy necessary for the freedom to control one’s own finances is free market capitalism.
There is as little government intervention as possible, for there is an “invisible hand” that
guides the market. (Nationmaster, 2005) A most important facet of capitalism is the
importance of labor in securing one’s finances. Labor is the ultimate resource to garner
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capital (money, valued possessions). (Nationmaster, 2005) John Locke took this theory and
ran with it. Instead of concentrating on the purely economic aspect of capitalism, Locke
adapted this theory to a body politic, focusing on the role the government should play in the
daily lives of citizens; Locke concluded that the role of government, especially in matters of
a man’s property, should be limited. Locke’s deliberation led him to further conclude that a
truly free form of government would be one wherein each man is “endowed with certain
inalienable rights”: life, liberty, and - no, not the pursuit of happiness - the pursuit of
property . (Smith) The founders of the United States Constitution took Locke’s political
philosophy and blended it with that of Smith’s – a melding of free market capitalism and a
democratic government. Locke didn’t father capitalism; this wouldn’t be a fair assertion to
Adam Smith. Rather, he did have a significant impact on it when the United States
Constitution was forged; perhaps this makes Locke the “Great-uncle, twice removed” of
Capitalism.