At Benedictine College, Paul Ryan on the Morality of Free Markets

The season of Commencement addresses is upon us, and we all know just what that means, don't we? An ocean of self-indulgent liberal blather. Against this sea of nonsense, I offer Congressman Paul Ryan.

Yesterday at Benedictine College, the superb Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas, Ryan did something important. He insisted that the free markets matter not simply because the prove so successful at producing goods but because they're moral.

To wit:

[W]hy is there such resistance to free enterprise? It’s the old problem of greed. The critics say nothing good comes from commerce....Sure, free enterprise makes more stuff, they argue. But it relies on “greed”—on people pursuing their self-interest. And isn’t the love of money the root of all evil…or something to that effect...?

At some level, we all ask ourselves, “How can I make ends meet?” But the successful ask a better question: “What’s something people need?” Voluntary exchange is an act of good faith. It gives the buyer a good in exchange for something of equal value. It creates a culture of personal responsibility and good will. To attract customers, you must be trustworthy. To attract workers, you must treat them with dignity.

continue at Ricochet  

Full text at Prosperity PAC 

... it depends on the definition of "free market."  I would argue that a totally unregulated market is not at all free, the presence of a monopoly, for example.

I'm told this, but at this point it is all hearsay.  This is in reference to is comments on gay adoption. 

Paul Ryan sat down with President Minnis and Archbishop Naumann and explained he is trying to keep it a State's Rights issue, instead of letting the Federal government being able to dictate it upon the state's. He said that he does not support gay's being able to adopt and never has. The media is twisting his words to suit their own purposes.

That aspect did not seem clear from the original comments.  That may be the case, but until he offers a clarification we'll have to wait and see if that truly is his position. 

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