August 1, 2012

Political Thought

Hopkins Center Milton Party (and Thoughts on the Fuel of Capitalism)

Justin Katz

The Stephen Hopkins Center for Civil Rights' panel discussion on the event of Milton Friedman's hundredth birthday offset "liberaltarian" Brown professor John Tomasi with June Speakman, a Roger Williams professor more inclined to agree with the prefix of the coinage. The panel would have benefited from the inclusion of an unabridged conservative who agreed with its root.

The most interesting idea placed on the Nick-a-Nees table was Tomasi's hypothesis that free markets can correspond with social justice if we think of the latter concept "in new ways." The people who developed social justice, he says, just "happened to be all from the left."

A conservative panelist might have suggested that there's no "happened to be" about it — that the very concept was designed to supplant the competing idea of charity and free association. Justice is the province of the police and the justice system, and "social justice" inherently suggests that those who hold the political levers can judge and impose their view of a just society on others against their will.

Watch video of the event and continue reading on the Ocean State Current...

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"social justice" inherently suggests that those who hold the political levers can judge and impose their view of a just society on others against their will.

Without doubt, "social justice" is a will-o-the-wisp term. I recall watching news coverage of a riot in the 70's. It featured that Canadian/American journalist doing a stand up. Directly behind him a kid was shown doing a smash and grab of a TV set from a store window. It was calmly explained that every American was needed to have a TV set. Those that didn't weere entitled to steal one.

Reminds me. I have some apartments in Attleboro, MA. Today I recieved a letter from the Health Dept to inform me that a TV set had been left curb side without a sticker from the health dept. A "second offense" would result in a $25.00 fine. I went to see it. A departing tenant had decided on some grass roots recycling. The TV was plainly marked "Working Condition - Free". I wonder what that letter cost the taxpayers?

Posted by: Warrington Faust at August 2, 2012 2:12 PM
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