1. Why Write this Book?

WHILE WRITING THIS BOOK, I often asked myself, “Why write this at all? Will I come up with such an unusual view and explanation of that view that someone with a socialist bent will, after reading it, suddenly exclaim, ‘Oh! Now I concur’?” Hardly! Writing may not gain advocates, but it does help to codify one’s own thoughts and beliefs, and that alone is rewarding.

I have often wondered why those with strong opinions about social affairs are always attracted toward one of two opposing poles. There are those inclined to liberty—freedom of the individual to live his or her life in any peaceful way. And there are those who are inclined to mastery—permitting others to live their lives only as another sees fit. It seems also that, once so inclined to one or the other of these philosophies, one is so inclined for life.

It is rare, in my experience, that people who align themselves with one camp or the other will, upon seeing some new evidence or hearing an argument contrary to their beliefs, switch camps. Why are some inclined to agree with, for example, a passage written by Milton Friedman, but disagree with one written by John Kenneth Galbraith, or the reverse? Perhaps we carry genes that predispose us to one inclination and render us immune to contrary evidence.

So why debate if we are so firmly predisposed? There seems to be a spirit within us that wants to convert others to our beliefs without having to assess the real value of such conversions. After all, what one person believes does not obstruct the beliefs of another. If one converts a socialist to a libertarian or an atheist to a Christian, or vice versa, what is gained? Maybe the gain is simply the comfort we experience when someone else reconfirms that our beliefs are “correct” after all.

Whatever the case, the dinner party that evening led to my own personal search for answers and, ultimately, the writing of this book, a most rewarding venture that I would never have undertaken had it not been for the views expressed by my guests that night. I thank them, and my friend Don De Francisco, in particular, for having made that experience possible.¹

¹For those inclined to the culinary arts, the fare that evening included barbecued rack of lamb garnished with garlic and rosemary, roasted red peppers, broccoli, penne alla checca (penne pasta, fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic), and several bottles of California, French, and Italian wines.