Free enterprise

Press, 14 August 1980, Page 16

Free enterprise

Sir, — I would point out to Trevor Loudon (August 12) that the socialism he decries is communism. We have socialist or government run industries in this country under this administration such as postal services, railways, airways, etc. Few people question the wisdom of the Government running these departments. The real enemies of free enterprise are the monopolies and takeover merchants who manipulate the sharemarket and now dominate this country. The Labour Party, with its proposed policy of curtailing monopolies and encouraging full employment, and competition by the smaller operators must be a more democratic free enterprise system than that which now exists. Possibly if Labour lost its cloth cap image it might appear to the status quo opposition who resent the cloth caps more than the facts.— Yours, etc.,

J. SHARP. August 12, 1980.

Sir, — Trevor Loudon (August 12) has confused the totalitarian communist system with the true socialist system. West Germany has, for years, been run by a socialist government. It .is interesting to note that those countries that are in the best economic heart, such as West Germany, Sweden . and Denmark, have had long-term socialist governments, and those which have had a number of freeenterprise governments in office, -such as Britain, France and New Zealand, are in grave difficulties. So, in , fact,-' those' unfortunates in West- Berlin are escaping from a totalitarian regime to a socialist paradise. — Yours,, etc.,' ' • .

JUDY M. WATERS. August 12, 1980.

Sir, Trevor Loudon, (August- 12), must be conceded a point in favour of free enterprise when he cites the Berlin. Wall. and East German. escapers to the West. However, even “Time” magazine (hardly ,a socialist advocate) admits that the majority of escapers do so mostly for economic reasons and says West Germany has had the following advan-

tages over the East: (1) Far less devastation and no war reparations. (2) Massive United States financial aid and investment. (3) Always a stronger and more diverse industrial base compared to the rural East. As a socialist I prefer to admire the system that has brought the greatest benefit to the greatest number — for example the quarter of the human race known as China which was sick unto death under “free enterprise” and has been transformed by socialism into a strong, healthy giant of a nation, now being wooed by “free enterprise” —Yours, etc.,

‘ M l . T. MOORE; August 12, 1980.

Sir, — It seems that the general attitude of the average New Zealander concerning the state of this country is that of apathy. It is so easy to comprehend socialistic standards and ideals that have been unconsciously indoctrinated into our minds. Therefore, it is hard to become aware of the definite benefits of free enterprise. Political and economic discontent have occurred, through looking only at the immediate effect of new policies, and systems or at the effect on a particular group, but not long-term effects for the well-being of all groups. History has proven that socialism suppresses development and limits freedom for the individual as well as the group. Free enterprise may not always show immediate visual gains, but allows long-term benefits for entire communties, gives any individual out of any group freedom of choice and a chance to develop to the fullest, promoting a better future for all groups. — Yours, etc.,

JANE FORD, August 12, 1980.

Sir, — Instead of feeling chastened when P. J. Seward says (August 7) that 1- do not understand the terms capitalism or free enterprise, I am considerably heartened to read further on in his letter that he himself reveals his own total misapprehension of those terms when he writes: “The capitalist society we have in New Zealand is closer to communism than free enterprise.”! must confess that I do not understand the term “free enterprise” as used by most of its advocates in this correspondence, unless it is a euphemistic synonym for capitalism at a less advanced stage of its development, now long since outgrown. What P. J. Seward mistakes for “communism” in New Zealand today is capitalism in its state-mon-opoly phase, the close integration of the state and the big monopolies both domestic and overseas. The cyclical recurrence of economic crises is an endemic feature of capitalism,. whatever its evolutionary phase. ■— Yours, etc., •M. CREEL. August 7, 1980. .