Free Market Capitalist vs. Greedy Robber Barron

This is a good time to explore the concepts of Free Market Capitalism vs. that of government enhanced enterprises, which frequented the era of the Great Southern Lumber Company. Free market activities are the foundation upon which the freedom and economic success which have characterized our Nations' history were formed. It is essential to understand the difference between free market activity and government enhanced activities if one wants to understand the true enterprise which was operating in Bogalusa during the Goodyear era. The only question we have about the Goodyear Family is this---was theirs a free market venture or just another chapter in our Nations' shameful fascist robber Barron's history?

""Free-market capitalism is a network of free and voluntary exchanges in which producers work, produce, and exchange their products for the products of others through prices voluntarily arrived at. State capitalism consists of one or more groups making use of the coercive apparatus of the government… for themselves by expropriating the production of others by force and violence"".—
Murray N.Rothbard, The Logic of Action (1997)

What exactly is State capitalism?

"State capitalism is a popular term to denote the state’s encroachment on free market capitalism. In A Future of Peace and Capitalism, Murray Rothbard made this distinction between free market capitalism and state capitalism: “The difference between free-market capitalism and state capitalism is precisely the difference between, on the one hand, peaceful, voluntary exchange, and on the other, violent expropriation.” The problem is that most people do not realize the differences when using the term capitalism, and incorrectly lump all capitalism as one or the other.

Rothbard is right to denote the difference, and most people would be wise to always specify which capitalism they are referring to. Capitalism by itself is neutral and a tool employed by all forms of governments, nations and people. Whether capitalism is a force for freedom or coercion depends on whether it is free market based or state centrally mandated. Most freedom lovers when they endorse capitalism really mean the free market; others who complain of the faults of capitalism really are identifying the problems of state corporate capitalism (though they probably do not realize this).

Is State Capitalism the Best Description?

There are other terms that people use when discussing state capitalism. Some of these are: corporatism, mercantilism, fascism, corporate welfare. While all these terms are very descriptive and useful in their own ways in describing the problem, they ignore the fact that most people wrongly associate these terms with (free market) capitalism. So we end up with people using one word, capitalism, but attaching diametrically opposite meanings to its usage.

While this might seem to be a problem only for those who misunderstand the meanings of capitalism, it really is a problem for those of us who are trying to persuade people to adopt a free market approach. Most people are aware of the large bribes corporations pay to politicians to get favorable legislation passed. Not too many people are going to look very positively on our position if they think we are advocating immoral state transfer schemes to large corporations.

For too many people in the free market freedom movement, the word capitalism is a hot button that must be defended at all costs. It is similar to how socialists decry all issues with the failures of socialism as being the result of capitalism (don’t you know that Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and all the other socialist failures were the product of them being really capitalists – just ask any true socialist). This is complete intellectual dishonesty, and free market advocates would be wise to avoid emulating these tactics. It is better to honestly address the problems of state capitalism and contrast them to the solutions provided by a true free market. "-
Quote from State Capitalism.

Entrepreneur vs. Political Hack

"As common as it is to speak of "robber barons," most who use that term are confused about the role of capitalism in the American economy and fail to make an important distinction — the distinction between what might be called a market entrepreneur and a political entrepreneur. A pure market entrepreneur, or capitalist, succeeds financially by selling a newer, better, or less expensive product on the free market without any government subsidies, direct or indirect. The key to his success as a capitalist is his ability to please the consumer, for in a capitalist society the consumer ultimately calls the economic shots. By contrast, a political entrepreneur succeeds primarily by influencing government to subsidize his business or industry, or to enact legislation or regulation that harms his competitors.

In the mousetrap industry, for instance, you can be a market entrepreneur by making better mousetraps and thereby convincing consumers to buy more of your mousetraps and less of your competitors', or you can lobby Congress to prohibit the importation of all foreign-made mousetraps. In the former situation the consumer voluntarily hands over his money for the superior mousetrap; in the latter case the consumer, not given anything (better) in return, pays more for existing mousetraps just because the import quota has reduced supply and therefore driven up prices.

Most who use the term "robber barons" are confused about the role of capitalism in the American economy. The American economy has always included a mix of market and political entrepreneurs — self-made men and women as well as political connivers and manipulators. And sometimes, people who have achieved success as market entrepreneurs in one period of their lives later become political entrepreneurs. But the distinction between the two is critical to make, for market entrepreneurship is a hallmark of genuine capitalism, whereas political entrepreneurship is not — it is neomercantilism.

In some cases, of course, the entrepreneurs commonly labeled "robber barons" did indeed profit by exploiting American customers, but these were not market entrepreneurs. For example, Leland Stanford, a former governor and US senator from California, used his political connections to have the state pass laws prohibiting competition for his Central Pacific railroad, and he and his business partners profited from this monopoly scheme. Unfortunately, the resentment that this naturally generated among the public was unfairly directed at other entrepreneurs who succeeded in the railroad industry without political interference that tilted the playing field in their direction. Thanks to historians who fail to (or refuse to) make this crucial distinction, many Americans have an inaccurate view of American capitalism. "Quote from The Truth about Robber Barrons

Related links---

http://mises.org/story/2317

http://www.strike-the-root.com/51/weebies/weebies1.html

http://mises.org/daily/2317#0

We can be a leader in racial healing.

It is a stereotype that racial problems in our Nation are confined to the South. What is not a stereotype is that Bogalusa has its share of racial problems. We can become a model of racial healing for the world. The first step in healing any emotional hurt is the acknowledgement of the acts which occurred and the sincere heartfelt desire to make amends for our transgressions.

Healing goes beyond blaming by seeking to make amends for the very acts which we now deny occurred. Acknowledgement is the hardest yet most necessary step in our healing. We are not alone in our struggle, but we are alone in our ability to bring the struggle out into the open where the wounds can be healed. Until this step is taken the hidden hand of racial divide will rule our community and prevent the development of a more spiritually based existence for our people.

The problem with the Goodyear account of the history of Bogalusa goes beyond language. The book is very inaccurate in its portrayal of the good citizens of Bogalusa and does us a disservice which can only be corrected by a direct challenge to the content of the book. The Goodyear history is self-serving at best and racially divisive at its worst. We must challenge the accounts of our history by this family and set the record straight for our children who come after us. Let's get our history not only racially sensitive but accurate. Anything less is a lie which continues to hurt our peoples charater, honor and relationship with God. Please keep this in mind as we continue to explore the history of Bogalusa as reported by various sources and then assert which seem most accurate.

James Cameron: His story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIQqFRQh7pI&feature=related

A brief history of Bogalusa

- PICTURE OF A STAND OF VIRGIN BOGALUSA PINE -

Long before European and African settlers formed the City of Bogalusa Native Americans had lived on the land for thousands of years. The various Native American Nations formed small communities, which lead a noematic hunter gather lifestyle on the same land we now reside upon. Their hunting practices resulted in the development of a large forest which blanketed the south from Southern Virginia reaching as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas.

Pinus palustris is the scientific name for the one plant which was responsible for the formation and development of this massive forest. The more common name is the Longleaf Pine. So strong is the relationship between the City of Bogalusa and the Longleaf Pine that one of the common names for the tree is "Bogalusa pine".

The longleaf pine was milled throughout the Southern United States due to its innate attractiveness for development into lumber. Our City ancestors were blessed with a solid stand of virgin pines, which had been "worked" by native Americans for thousands of years.
Longleaf pine forest were created by thousands of years of native american hunting parties, which used fire to assist in their harvesting of deer. The relationship between longleaf pines and native Americans was one of a synergy of benefits for nature and humankind. The longleaf pines developed a tall growing pattern due to thousands of years of being subjected to native american hunting parties fire practices. The native Americans and even some current non-native Americans used fire to "chase out" deer from the dense forest. This practice resulted in a type of manmade breeding of the longleaf pine, which resulted in the plant having a very high growth height and a very high tree branch base.

"Longleaf Pine is highly resistant to fire. Periodic natural wildfire selects for this species by killing other trees, leading to open Longleaf Pine forests or savannas. " From Wikipedia.

Bogalusa history is typical of many Southern towns, which were formed by lumber companies to help in the harvest of our Nations great southern yellow or longleaf pine forest which the Native Americans had developed during the thousands of years they ruled the forest. Many European and African citizens followed the lumber mills as they harvested the forest almost into extinction. Immigrant forest workers from Europe noted that the beautiful Longleaf pine forest reminded them of the great Cathedrals of Europe. It is estimated the once limitless forest was reduced to a mere 5 percent of its original size in less than two generations.

What is not typical of Bogalusa is its development by an absentee owner family known locally as the Goodyear Family. More typical was the migration of less well capitalized lumber families across the South in a pattern which typically was developed by the clear cutting of areas closer to the east coast followed by relocation to more inland and western Longleaf pine locations. To put it simply the smaller lumber yard operators clear cut the lumber and moved the entire operation to less accessible virgin forest as the deforestation of one area was complete. Bogalusa is unique in its development and domination by an absentee "owner" who merely viewed the community as a means to developing great personal wealth for his own family. Unlike other great Southern lumber families the Goodyears never set roots of their own in the community in which they made their fortunes. This afforded the family a certain freedom to impact community events in a manner, which benefited their family and did not directly impact their own New York community. The Goodyears were peers with the elite families of America. Bogalusa solidified their membership in our Nations WASP ruling class.

FROM THE LONGLEAF ALLIANCE WEBSITE LINKED BELOW.

The average American's view of the natural communities of the Southeastern U.S. is that it is comprised mainly of swamps, alligators and big, old moss-hung cypress trees. On the contrary to this view, when early explorers visited the southeastern region they saw "a vast forest of the most stately pine trees that can be imagined, planted by nature at a moderate distance. . . enameled with a variety of flowering shrubs." Fire defined where the longleaf pine forest was found and fostered an ecosystem diverse in plants and animals. Longleaf pine's domain was vast. By all accounts, the longleaf pine forest dominated the southern landscape. Starting in southwest Virginia, the longleaf pine forest stretched southward through nine states eventually stopping in east Texas (over 140,000 square miles). Unlike today, other southern pine species such as loblolly and slash pine were mostly relegated to areas where fire did not burn frequently (such as the edges of streams and ponds).

The primeval pine forest seen by early explorers to the southeastern U.S. shared several fundamental characteristics: Tall, majestic, and ancient stands dominated by a single species of tree - the Longleaf Pine; A conspicuous lack of midstory trees and shrubs presented a scenic vista through the forest; A well developed ground layer, dominated by bunch grasses helped to create a manicured park-like appearance; A high diversity of plants in the ground layer; Numerous wildlife species that were dependent upon the open pine forest; Frequent fires that skimmed across the ground's surface acted as the thread which held the longleaf pine forest together; and Found across a variety of habitat types.

For countless generations, cultures were both transformed by and helped to transform the longleaf piney woods. However, starting about 150 years ago, overexploitation of the longleaf pine forest accelerated tremendously and the face of the southern landscape changed radically.

http://www.longleafalliance.org/bigpicture.html

http://www.longleafalliance.org/memoirs.html

Racist link still proudly promoted by City of Bogalusa

It has been over a week, since we posted about it and the link to a racially offensive history of Bogalusa, Louisiana, still graces the website of our City. Considering the problems which have surfaced in Bogalusa in the past few years it is not surprising. In the coming weeks, we will step up the efforts to garner support for its removal. The Goodyear family and its history of race baiting for profit will also be explored in depth. Thanks for reading. Our viewership is growing despite the holiday decline in content. We hope to step up the content and welcome comments. Again thanks.

HISTORY SATURDAY

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER INVESTIGATION

---VARNADO, LOUISIANA---
JUNE 2, 1965

Victims
O'NEAL MOORE
DAVID "CREED" ROGERS

THE DETAILS SURROUNDING THE CRIME
On the night of June 2, 1965, Deputy Sheriff O'Neal Moore and his partner, Deputy Sheriff David "Creed" Rogers, both with the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office, were patrolling the Varnado, Louisiana area. The deputies were traveling on Main Street and were crossing a set of railroad tracks when a pickup truck passed them. It is believed that there were three unknown suspects in the truck, two in the back of the truck and the driver. The suspects opened fire on the deputies. Deputy Sheriff Moore was killed instantly, suffering from a fatal wound. His partner (Deputy Rogers, now deceased) sustained permanent injuries from the shooting and the subsequent auto accident which occurred when his vehicle struck a large tree.

REWARD

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the indictment, arrest, and conviction of anyone responsible for the shooting death of O'Neal Moore and the wounding of David "Creed" Rogers.

-------------IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS CASE-------------- PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE
ROBERT S. MUELLER, III DIRECTOR
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535
TELEPHONE: (202) 324-3000
____________________________________________________________________
---------BOGALUSA NEWS REMINDS THOSE WITH INFORMATION---------

God is offering an even better reward!!!

Redemption and preparation for salvation.

A change is going to come.

Hope you guys enjoy the weekend music. We at BogalusaNews welcome our Katrina Brothers who had to leave the Big Easy after Katrina. We include the New Orleans NAACP which is looking for a Change in Bogalusa. We hope to see them soon.

Time to remove the Nword from offical city usage.

We at BogalusaNews welcome readers to our inaugural post. We have chosen a very controversial topic for our first post. It seems the City Counsil and Mayor have included a history link on the Official City Website which has racially offensive language. The daily news will probably not print such words because they are so offensive, yet our City chooses to promote itself with this language. The fact a link to the Chamber of Commerce is placed at the bottom of the article makes one wonder exactly what type of business the City hopes to attract with such language.

http://www.bogalusa.org/

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mcclendon/Bogalusa/Bogalusa%20Story/BogalusaStory-with-photos.html

(Direct quotes from the above historical accounts of Bogalusa history which is promoted by the City of Bogalusa's Official Website and linked to the Chamber so as to attract business.)

"As late as 1903, it was a scene of a mass killing, stemming from the alleged attempt by a "bad nigger" named Lott to murder a white woman. Lott was tied to a tree and burned. Not yet satisfied, the infuriated whites waited until there was a gathering of Negroes in Live Oak Church. A gun shot began a massacre in a racial conflict still known as the Ball Town Riot. When the smoke cleared, fifteen Negroes lay dead."

"...I kicked the nigger out of the car and left him in the woods alongside the road about ten miles out of Baton Rouge."

This blog post is being forwarded to news outlets with hopes that we can remove such language from official city promoted links. In a word, we find such language offensive.

If language was not enough the history linked by the City has many historically inacurate portials of the community. We feel it does not do justice to the honor of the hard working men and women who built this City deserve. It is just an attempt by the Goodyear family to justify their own abusive actions during the time they ruled Bogalusa. It is an inaccurate account of the History of Bogalusa which is self-serving to the Goodyear Family at the expensive of Bogalusa.

Having a link to the Chamber after such a piece of City promoted literature is an open invitation to the KKK to set up shop in our City. This has met with tragic results for our city, which cannot afford such destructive organizations that prevent economic growth. Real economic growth cannot occur in a City which promotes hate language.

In our view it is time to honor those who have contributed much to the progress of our community and do so in a formal manner. Specially we call upon the City to develop a Historical Honor Committee which will explore ways to honor those who have positively contributed to our City. We would hope special consideration be given to those who served our community so bravely during the Civil Rights Movement lead by Dr. Martin Luther King. To date, we have not found one thing, which gives public praise and honor to our brave citizens who in some cases gave their lives so all could be free. This must change.

We at BogalusaNews would like to see a replacement of the link to the offensive history of Bogalusa by a link for the reward being offered by the FBI for the murder of Washington Parish deputy sheriff Oneal Moore. A specific request for the placement of a historical marker on the murder site where officer Moore was slain should be made to the State of Louisiana. The community deserves honor for its fallen officers and this would be a good start.