A few weeks ago, Iranians tried to rebel against their government. While on the surface Iran’s problems may have little to do with America’s, consider the following from an excellent article by the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE):
A dangerous combination of economic stagnation and a lack of civil liberties has led thousands of Iranians to swarm the streets in protest this past month. The underlying sentiment shows no signs of relenting until meaningful change occurs, leaving many of us asking: is Iran finally ripe for liberty?
Iran, like most countries, suffers from a massive lack of respect for liberty – economic and personal. If Patrick Henry were to say to the Iranian government, “Give me liberty – or give me death,” they would grant him death in two minutes flat.
Iran’s government, like America’s (to a lesser degree), exists to serve the interests of the rulers, at the expense of the ruled. In a truly free society, grounded in a Constitution dedicated to the preservation of individual (including property) rights, there are no rulers and there is nobody being ruled. It’s simply about the preservation of rights. That’s it.
The protests — which left 20 tragically dead — were spurred by Iran’s struggling economy. The country’s poor standard of living is illustrated by their high unemployment rate of about 40 percent for young people, who make up half of the population. Despite sanctions being lifted in January 2016, Iran’s economy has been slow to improve, angering most of the population — especially educated millennials.
Most do not see the connection between liberty – specifically, economic liberty – and the economy. Because our media blames all economic problems (real and perceived) on capitalism and free markets, and credits all economic gains (real and perceived) on government action only when done by Democrats, most people are left without any real understanding of how an economy functions. Because in America so much still functions economically, some can afford the luxury of ignorance, for a time. The Iranians have no such luxury.
These mass protests have sparked a sense of excitement for true revolutionary change in Iran, with many embodying anti-government sentiment. Desires from the Iranian people to end government corruption, respect individual liberties, and foster free market prosperity suggests that they are thirsty for liberty, peace, and prosperity.
The Obama administration made a big deal about how the Iranian government is “sovereign” and the majority have a right to form whatever government they choose. Of course, such an attitude benefits the party in power. That party happens to be a theocratic-economic establishment that sacrifices the rights of individuals for the sake of their power. Sounds a lot like America if you substitute “theocratic-economic establishment” with “leftist-corporate-establishment”.
An “establishment” refers to any group of people or interests gaining benefits through the use of government force. Without government coercion and pull, there would be no establishment, at least no entrenched and permanent one. In a free country, if a company makes a billion dollars selling products or services to people who want them and freely pay for them, it’s not an establishment. But if that same company turns around and gets the government to impose rules, taxes and regulations on competitors while letting themselves go free, so long as they pay to keep the rulers in power – that’s an establishment. The first is honest free market capitalism, so long as the government stays totally out of the game other than to enforce contracts and property rights. The second is anything but. We mostly have the second in America today. Sadly, people call that free market capitalism, even though it’s mostly not that.
These courageous souls in Iran and elsewhere perhaps understand the difference better than most Americans. It’s because they don’t have the luxury to be ignorant or to delude themselves.
A budget recently proposed by [Iranian] President Rouhani cuts subsidies for the poor and implements an aggressive fuel tax, all while protecting the economic interests of the theocratic establishment. The influence of religious institutions on business is a deep-rooted structural issue in Iran. Economists estimate these particular institutions control almost 60 percent of the country’s assets. These theocratic institutions are exempt from paying taxes, and therefore stifle competition from small businesses and entrepreneurs and ultimately suppress prosperity.
Sound familiar? Iran has mullahs and ayatollahs cashing in on unearned economic power brought about by their coercively obtained political power. America has the same thing, only it’s Hillary Clinton, John McCain and CNN. What’s happening in Iran is an exaggerated version of what’s going on in America.
The only solution is liberty. This means repealing as many taxes and regulations as we can, as quickly as we can, and in an across-the-board way, not a targeted way to favor some groups at the expense of others.
I generally support President Donald Trump because he’s willing to do some of that, rather than absolutely none of it, as is the case with Democrats and, frankly, most Republicans.
The long-standing and intertwining relationship between the Iranian government and the country’s religious institutions is eerily similar to that of secular crony capitalism in the United States. This is the notion that many hard-working citizens who struggle to make ends meet get sold the short end of the stick as a result of the government favoring certain industry sectors because of their connections to bureaucrats.
Precisely.
The brewing revolution in Iran is more important than you think. While economic liberty is the last thing the crony capitalists either in Iran or the United States want to see, it’s the one thing that’s universally justified and morally correct, regardless of the race, religious backgrounds, gender preferences or any other demographic characteristic of the parties involved.
If life on earth – a good, happy and prosperous, safe life – is the standard, then there’s no competition: Individual rights, “hands off” capitalism and economic liberty are the ONLY way to go.
They always will be.
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