This week, I read an op-ed in the National Post by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. He claimed that Adam Smith’s infamous theory of free market economics was the key to rebuilding the wealth of our nation. He argued such economies equalized the market by raising wages, lowering costs, and lifting people out of poverty. Criticizing government intervention, he raised Smith’s “Theory of Moral Sentiments,” suggesting that we will inherently care for one another out of our own self-interest.
What a load of crap. First off, it is not 1820 and collective morality doesn’t exist. We all have our own ideas of what is or is not moral, and our society is socialized to hoard wealth and ignore the suffering of others. Corporations that act freely (run by people that Poilievre claims would act in the interest of others) have exploited areas of the world that lack the regulatory standards to protect themselves. The way I see it, the reason the lower and middle classes suffer is not because of government interference, it’s because of the unregulated growth of concentrated wealth.
I don’t know what free market Poilievre sees for the 21st century, but let’s not forget that unchecked growth is a cancer.
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.