On the advice of my father, I reread through Walter Williams’s speech that I mentioned yesterday and I discovered that I missed this gem:
In truth, in a free society, income is earned through pleasing and serving one’s fellow man. I mow your lawn, repair your roof or teach your kid economics. In turn you give me dollars. We can think of dollars as certificates of performance. With these certificates of performance in hand, I go to my grocer and ask him to give me a pound of steak and a six-pack of beer that my fellow man produced. In effect the grocer says, “You’re making a claim on something your fellow man produced. You’re asking him to serve you – but did you serve him?” I say, “Yes I did.” The grocer responds, “Prove it!” That’s when I show him my certificates of performance – namely, the money my fellow man paid me to mow his lawn.
John Henry Carlson on April 2nd, 2005 at 1:59 am
That’s the point, that’s the most important point of the article. It’s even more informative upon a second reading. Glad you re-read the speech.