Quick follow-up:
On Wed, 3 Oct 2001, Nick Arnett wrote: > The only way I can see this as anything other than unjustified arrogance > would be if he said that spiritual strength -- and thus its rewards -- is an > undeserved gift. But I don't see any hint of such an attitude in the piece. > > Spiritual strength is, indeed, a gift, not something to show off and lord > over others. There is truth here, and it is the warning against arrogance. That is the correct emotional response for the person or people that find themselves uncommonly wealthy. But there is another truth, a more historical and sociological one, which I am trying to convey, which is that if we want to understand *why* we are so well-off, we have to understand what the causes of our wealth are. Some of those causes are simply fortuitous--the course of history, being in the right place at the right time--and some are diabolical--slavery, for one--but a lot of those causes involve the secular virtues Friedman extolled. In other words, if somebody came to America and asked, "How did you accomplish this?" chief amongst our replies would be the habit of enshrining civil liberties, tolerance, etc. -- our secular virtues, in other words. There's be a lot of stuff you wouldn't want anyone to imitate, true, but those things are not the whole story and they aren't the part of the story we'd want to endure. Now for contrast's sake, consider the point of view that considers wealth as nothing but an undeserved gift. That is an attitude perfectly in harmony with the doctrine that some people are elect and some aren't. If you're successful, you must be so because God chose you to be better off than your fellows, and thus you must be better than your fellows. I know that's not your argument, Nick, but is there any reason I should attribute that point of view to you by simply using the same style of logic you've used on Friedman? Marvin Long Austin, Texas "If you will not grant me victory, then grant me vengeance!" Conan the Barbarian "Blessed are the peacemakers." Jesus Christ
