Why I Am a Capitalist

In the post I made yesterday about my Forex activities, I described a spreadsheet I created to track the results of my particular technique. Tony, the blogger behind Get Swinked! responded and asked if I would send him a copy of the spreadsheet. Something in particular he wrote got me thinking:

I really enjoy reading all of your updates on Forex, and would love to get a copy of that spreadsheet if you would be willing to share. I do understand that your time went into it, so if, being the capitalist that you are, you would like something for it, let me know.

I like profits. I really do. In fact, it could be said that I really, really like profits. Any time I make one I feel great.

But that's not why I'm a capitalist.

I'm a capitalist first because capitalism is moral.

What I mean by this is best summed up in the intro to an article written by Robert W. Tracinski entitled, The Moral Basis of Capitalism:

"Capitalism is the only moral social system because it is the only system that respects the freedom of the producers to think and the right of the individual to set his own goals and pursue his own happiness."

As such, sure, I might want something for the work I put into the spreadsheet. On the other hand, I might not. In either case, capitalism is the system under which I get to make that decision. Profit is something that can be defined innumerable ways. Capitalism allows the individual to determine what that shall be and it forbids others from dictating it (be that through the forced extraction of labor or the setting of prices). All other social systems interfere in people's lives through force; that is, all other systems attack individuals.

So I sent a copy of the spreadsheet to Tony with instructions and without a price. If my tool is useful, then it will help to create more wealthy individuals who I think it would be beneficial and good to live around and have more of (this would be my "return on investment"), so I chose to pass it on.

As for the way Tony phrased his request, it is good in two ways: first, it got me thinking about a new blog post topic (which always helps!), and second, it was a perfectly moral request. Written differently, the essence of Tony's request would read: I respect your individuality and your rights and I would like to trade for the products of your mind.

That is how society should be.