Back in the 70’s when McGovern was running for President, Chevez was trying to get the farm workers a union. I remember McGovern saying: “I’m not going to eat another salad until the farm workers are unionized!”
A sociology prof who I debated current events with came in and said how happy she was about the boycott. I told her it was exactly the wrong thing to do. The conversation went like this:
Her: It is NOT the wrong thing to do!
Me: If the boycott is successful, what will happen to the price of lettuce?
Her: It will drop.
Me: If that happens, what just happened to the farmers’ ability to give a wage increase?
Her: Err...it falls.
Me: What if George had instead said he was going to eat five salads a day and everyone else should do the same. What would happen to the demand for lettuce?
Her: It would go up.
Me: And since you can’t grow new lettuce overnight, what would happen to the price of lettuce?
Her: It would go up.
Me: What would happen to the farmers ability to pay a higher wage?
Her: Err...it would increase.
Me: And what happens to the cost to the farmer of not paying them to pick the lettuce and it rots in the field?
Her. Err...it gets more expensive.
Me: So, Geoge should be telling people to eat more lettuce, not less, if he wants them to unionize, right?
Her: ...That may be so, but I don’t believe it!!
Whereupon she would stomp out of my office. Liberals don’t think...they react. Their economics is statis: the economic pie is fixed and the only way for those at the bottom to get more of the pie is to take it away from someone else with more income.
Conservatives know that policies that encourage economic growth increases the size of the pie, so that even if your share of the pie doesn’t increase, your standard of living rises. They can’t grasp the concept that a rising tide lifts all boats.
Debating with a liberal is like trying to smell the color 9.
Great post. And your conclusion is a keeper:
“Debating with a liberal is like trying to smell the color 9.”
Love it!
Now i am hungry for a salad!
Now i am hungry for a salad!