The Rural Voice, 1982-01, Page 13VOICE OF A FARMER
What's an
equitable system?
by Adrian Vos
When Aristotle fulminated against repayment of a loan with
interest added, he called it unjust and unnatural because the
gain made is at the expense of other men.
A later philosopher, Erasmus held the same opinion. He wrote
in his "Adages", "...it is against nature for money to breed
money. But now this thing is so widely
accepted among Christians that while the
tillers of the soil are despised, usurers on the
other hand, are considered to be among the
pillars of the Church. Nowadays the rage for
possession has got such a pitch that there is
nothing in the realm of nature. whether
sacred or profane. out which profit cannot be
squeezed."
Now it is generally recognized that our
society couldn't function without the capital-
ist system of economics, which is based on
repayment with interest.
It is equally recognized that a capitalist can
become a parasite. We find examples of this
in the large landowners in most Latin American countries. The
playboys, who own large estates, inherited from their parents and
grandparents, often have never done any productive work. They
live off the sweat of the poor peasants like a fungus of society.
That the same could hold true in our country is usually
indignantly rejected. But what really is the basic difference
between the South American playboy and the coupon clipper in
Toronto or Calgary?
Neither produces anything of real value. It is regretable that we
have found capitalism is the only system that works. There is,
however, a difference between true capitalists whose shrewd
judgment on the potential of an industry is of value in maintaining
or abolishing that industry, and the money lenders who ruthlessly
squeeze the last decimal point of interest from people who need it.
The parasite impoverishes the country by only taking, while the
investor enriches the country by making production possible.
That the Japanese are so successful in the development of their
industry is no accident. Every Japanese is reportedly a saver.
The money he saves is invested in the industry he works for,
thereby giving him more job and income security.
In our North American societies we are continuously
bombarded with incentives NOT to save, but to spend our money
now.
Anyone investing in an unproductive commodity, like gold
which is mostly used for deposits in vaults, with the only objective
to safeguard his money, is a parasite. He is like the man -with the
one talent of silver in the Biblical story who buried his stake. He
ended up being called a worthless servant.
Socialism, where the state does the investing, may have a place
in preventing monoplies from ripping off the public. But in
general socialism is not a viable alternative to the capitalist
system of free enterprise. Every time a government shifts some
wealth from the rich to the poor, an army of inspectors is needed
which makes the operation twice as expensive for the rich and
(cont. on page 12)
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THE RURAL VOICE/JANUARY 1982 PG 11