I understand that the works of Ayn Rand are gaining popularity again. Aficianados of the free market system are boisterously promoting its virtues and bandying about the bugaboo of imminently threatening socialism. Their fervor and simple absolutes breed interest, and the curious turn to Rand for inspiring depictions of ideal capitalism. Her work makes the capitalist heroic and virtuous. He is noble and principled, and who would not aspire to such? Rand’s capitalism is not about greedy fat cats sucking the blood of the proletariat. Her vision appeals to our highest instincts and caters to our vanity. Of course, it is also fiction. Yes, the best expositions of free market ideology are made up tales.
History tells us a very different story. Boosterish proponents of free market ideology may point to the overarching narrative of the American century to promote their theory, but, as they say, the devil is in the details. Our best shot at a truly free market economy in the United States was in the late nineteenth century. It was brief and chaotic. Many literally died in the violent exchanges between workers and hired hands brought in by company owners to crush strikes and rebellions. These disputes were often settled with guns, fists, torches, and other weapons. Railroad transportation was often stalled by strikes and other means of disruption. Boycotts and walk offs frequently meant that consumers could not access the goods and services they wanted or needed. Order was upset by the violence and disputes; in some cases, property and towns were actually destroyed due to arson and riots. Urban life was not safe in the way we understand it today. Further, there were no employee protections, assuring that they would not have to work in unsafe conditions, be shorted in their pay, or lose their jobs if injured at work. Workers who were injured on their jobs were not entitled to medical treatments at their employers’ expenses and they were often fired after the fact for being unable to fulfill their duties while incapacitated. Maimings and serious injuries were common then. Factory workers were often permanently injured or disabled at work. They then had no means to support themselves and no social security benefits to fall back on. The average male factory worker made about $400.00 a year in the late nineteenth century. Budget estimates by social workers of the time indicated that it took at least $600.00 a year for a family of four to get by — and that’s without medical care or savings. Accordingly, families were forced to put everyone to work in order to get by. Children got jobs instead of schooling because their wages were necessary to their familial unit. For families, for employees and employers, and for local communities, this period was one of violent upheaval and want. This is not the picture of heroism or virtuous achievement. It was class war — workers vs. owners — pure and simple.
This is the difference between history and fiction and why our historiography is so important to value. Boosters rely on appealing fiction, but what people need to make realistic choices is knowledge of what really happened in our past. Free market capitalism sounds great in theory, but our actual experience of it was not so fine or beneficial. When making choices about what we want for our society today, we must bear that in mind. Nothing’s as good as its ideal.
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