Bigger Barns

There are opportunities to free individuals from the evils of hunger, injustice, illness and death. The world produces more than enough for everyone. It is the view of 'optimists' and 'cornucopians' that the world's goods should be generously shared. The realists, 'pessimists' and 'neo-Malthusians' on the other hand promote population and birth control as a way to defeat the world's economic and social problems. Ever increasing yields do not prompt them to find better ways to distribute the world's surplusses but better ways to conserve them. There is no refuge in what you have. Hoarding stocks, building bigger barns may be a kind of saving but they are missed opportunities. They are not being used and people in some parts of the world desperately need them. Private ownership of property does not justify purely private use.

There are two powers involved with private property. One is the power of caring and distributing things for three reasons. The property of one person is better cared for by one person than by everyone. Individual responsibility is more efficient than common responsibility. A distinction between what belongs to one person and what belongs to another prevents arguments and disputes. The power of using them includes management which while better by one person must be always in the interests of all to provide for the needs of others. When enormous wealth accumulates in the hands of a few, there is massive resentment among the masses. When free and unlimited competiton determined the laws of the market mechanically and the civil power could not intervene the strongest dominated ordinary business relationships and undermined the whole economy. Everyone has a right of access to the means of production.

Radical changes have since taken place both in business and industrial relationships and relations between countries. More people should be living the good life. Unfortunately greed and materialism still exist and continue to make more difficult the problem of unlimited wants and limited resources.