Friday, August 15, 2008

SELL EVERYTHING ON THIS APPROVED LIST OF GOODS, COMRADE

Apparently, on the right, it's Backwards Week with regard to capitalism. First we had The American Spectator's Robert Stacy McCain predicting with a sneer that John McCain's campaign would be sued by Jackson Browne for unauthorized use of a song not because Browne is the rightful owner of his own intellectual property, and thus has every right to sue, but because Browne "is a liberal." And now we have this, from former Quayle and Santorum speechwriter Lisa Schiffren, at National Review's Corner:

... As it happens, most of the counterfeit purses, sunglasses, and some other shlock [hawked on the streets of New York] are sold by West Africans, most of whom are here illegally. In recent days, around the city I have noticed a new addition to their wares: rows of baseball caps with an "Obama" logo. No McCain caps -- ever. If you ask, they laugh in a none too friendly way. It's not that I don't get it. But you would think that some of these children of God would carry "McCain" caps or t-shirts, if not in recognition of his support for them, then merely because some people might buy them. Market principles dictate that. And you would be wrong.

You would also think a right-winger would treat as sacrosanct a small-business person's decision to sell -- or not sell -- whatever the hell goods he or she wants to sell, for any reason whatsoever. You'd think questioning such a choice would make Milton Friedman roll over in his grave, particularly at a flagship media organ of the pro-capitalist right.

And you would be wrong.

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