Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-12
Can Capitalism Survive
BY MERRYLE STANLEY RUKEYSER

Ill.


backward sections sweat shop groups and the like We
want lift the quality of national life wherever
We know can't do il by passing laws or having
professors make pious utterances. We must do it by
improving technique, training men so they can be
more productive and hence
You may wonder why through the years the MARKHAM
credo has shown such persistence. You might wonder
hasn't great psychological hidden strength that
makes it acceptable to many minds in so many coun
tries through so many years?
Socialism mean all sorts of things. 1t means one
thing in Germany; another in Russia Our American
Socialists say their brand different from both of those
So in view of the unscientihc lack of standardization
of Technology is little difficult to discuss the subject
without specifying the brand Nevertheless would like
make approach to analyze it because you will be
discussing this subject with your young people Your
young people from colleges and universities will have
doubts which they will want to resolve.
THE great appeal Of it is blue sky appeal There is
/ always public appetite for Ponzism in any field.
There is always tremendous demand for miracle or
curea the part of lazy people who don't want to sub
nit the discipline of personal thrift and industry and
that the psychological basis for the Socialist appeal
Mediocre men need an abi for their mediocrity and
their failure John Jones doesn't like to tell his wife,
I'm not as good man as Tom Smith Instead he tells
her, I'm just good he is but through chicanery,
fraud and trckeres he collects salary of $4,000 year
and get S25 week.
You can see that socialism fuflls psychological
need the part of mediocre people. 1t gives them
escape from their own limitations.
Out of that escape has this world wide crusade
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the in the wholesale slaughter.ng of the generals
1t manifested itself in Germany in the elevation to the
highest position of that funny looking little man who
doesn't respect Charlie Chapns copyrighted mus
tache. 1t manifests itself in that buffoon Mussolni in
representing himself a modern Caesar
In order expose these figures order to educate
the public to the realities in order te safeguard
against similar fate, must give to the common
new tools of undertaking. because the modern world IS
becoming increasingly complex
If we don't achieve this smpifcation. there is
hidden danger that our people, too may say this is too
complicated for it's our head lets have great
leader and let him do our thinking for us.
BUSINESS and finance have great responsibility in
- that connection. The basis for great progress
laid when in the Middle Ages the Florentine monks in
vented the system of the double entry bookkeeping,
showing for every item, for every transaction where
from" and where to-"
When begin to draw up balance sheet and
income account for the total business of the people of
the United States and when we insist that the Gov
EMINENT, ITSELF, not only ask private corporations
to improve their accounting, BUT THAT 1T DO LIKE
WISE shall have understandable scoreboard for
registering the competency efficiency and accomplish
ment of public men, shall then have objective
yardstck for measuring performance against promises
National bookkeeping would discipline public
life just modern business accounting has set up
discipline for corporate affairs Where there is honest
accounting the mistakes of man soon show up
The essence of sound banking and sound lending
nheres in looking at the record of the woudbe borrower
Extending credit consists of recognition of value
WHEN apply the same technique national affairs
wv and summarize the income accounts of the whole
enable the ordinary voter to determine what the economic
procession is about and where it is going.
1t is not for you and me to say have faith in de-
mocracy-of course have. But lip service is not
enough If want to make democracy succeed have
to give the public intellectual tools for comprehend
ing they can't be made suckers by demagogues who
exploit this lack of understanding.
If we do these things with faith courage and
thusiasm for the American system, if win this
as think we will, then again go upward and
onward.
Make no mistake about this. We can't do it if we
going to put into effect all the fancy ideas that
prevalent in times We in the United States enjoy
than third of the worlds wealth and income, yet
have but per cent of the worlds population less than
per cent of the worlds land
IF WE going to abolish all trade barriers and put
L our national economy international basis. then
must be willing to take pot luck with the Japanese
Chinese and others of low living standards
If we do so, destroy the system founded by Alex
ander Hamilton that has made possible for the United
States to go upward and onward.
If we going to merge the independence and in
tegry of the United States and become part of
thing else, then how expect to enjoy present
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