Capitalism, Socialism, and the Best of All Worlds

I am neither a capitalist nor a socialist. I am both. I seek the best of all worlds. I believe that people should have the benefit of opportunity and prosperity that come with capitalism. I also believe that people should have the benefit of affordable education and health care as well as a social safety net.

There are people who think that the government lives off other people's money. In fact the government does a lot to facilitate prosperity. It provides the military that protects the country and the police that protects people's lives and property. It provides the roads that make possible interstate commerce. It provides education that makes people employable. It provides science that's at the root of technology – meaning, at the root of most of what business sells.

I've seen the benefits of both private sector and public sector. In 1990s, when the economy was booming, I was making big money in the computer industry. After that industry crashed, I got help from the government. Government by itself would not have created the 1990s boom; it did the right thing by getting out of the way of it. And, had it been solely for the private sector, after that boom ended I would have ended up begging on the street.

When I was making big money in the computer industry, I never complained about paying taxes. Clinton and Gore did a lot to make the government more efficient and user-friendly, and I knew that my money was being put to a good use. I did not seek tax shelters; I did not seek to cheat on my taxes. I paid them like a good citizen. And when I myself needed help, American government came through for me.

Having experienced the benefits of both the private sector and public sector, I want to see the same extended to others. People should have the benefits of prosperity and opportunity that comes with capitalism; they should also have a social safety net and affordable medicine and education. The proceeds that come from capitalism are big enough that there are enough resources to make this possible. It should be possible to make the most of both private sector and public sector. The result will be people living in the best of all possible worlds.