Page 59 - The Social Weapon: Darwinism
P. 59
57
Savage capitalism's most important error is in putting no limit on
the extent to which weaker businesses (and weaker individuals) can
be crushed, exploited and eliminated. No doubt this cruelty and ruth-
lessness are totally unacceptable. Today this error is summed up in the
saying, “Big fish eat little fish.” In other words, small enterprises are
eliminated—or acquired—by larger ones. That is Darwinism applied
to the world of business.
During the 20th century, the world tried two main different eco-
nomic models: the liberal one, based on private property and free in-
tervention; and the socialist one, based on state property and a
planned economy. Socialist economies failed in every country, inflict-
ing poverty and misery on their societies. Liberal economics, on the
other hand, displayed unquestioned success, bringing greater well-
being to individuals and societies.
But by itself a liberal economy is not enough to bring well-being
to a whole society. Thanks to the liberal economy, a society's economic
well-being generally rises, but not everyone can enjoy his share of that
increase. The poor remain poor, and the danger of social injustice be-
gins to increase. To prevent that danger and to eliminate social injus-
tice, two things are necessary:
