Dear Editor:

There was a time when the free markets of the United States served as a magnet for the dreams of the world. This was a time when these markets were used for means of personal innovation, and not as a means of governmental coerciveness. But now we have reached a time when capitalism faces its biggest opposition in almost 80 years.

We have now reached a time when the will of government seeks to outweigh the will of the entrepreneur. Because of tax incentives and government stipends, people will seek the money that government has promised instead of the promise that comes from offering what the consumer truly wants. It is in this era of bailouts that we are now forced to question the future of economic development.

It is with a sense of trepidation that I offer this ode.

And it is with a sense of anticipation for the future that I hope this incoming administration does not attempt to implement the policies it promised. But now we do find ourselves in a time where the economy is in the hands of a group of people who have promised to fundamentally alter the way this market operates forever.

It is time we throw aside the perceived cause of this economic downturn, deregulation, for the promise of a market without risk. Instead, we face a time where it is more important than ever to reaffirm our beliefs in a market free from government intrusion. It is time we look to the future with capitalism as our core.

We must fix what is broken, but not remake what still works. We now find ourselves in a position where the government must resist the pull of regulation, and reaffirm our goals of individual economic security and prosperity. We now face the realization that this future depends on the abilities and creativity of the individual to make the collective stronger. And it is this idea of composition that makes us stronger; with collectivism as a core, we will all fail.

It is with all of these things in mind that I offer this ode, and hope it is not a eulogy, but a reminder of what can change the future for the better.

Jermaine Raymer

senior studying political science