Adam Smith-1775 and Journolist

Adam Smith and his book The Wealth of Nations might have saved Ezra Klein some heart burn had he read this old book and, shoot, make no doubt this book is as old as our nation. Of course, I bought the book in college and like everyone else tried to read it but tossed it aside and crammed other books that would help me get through the semester finals.

Until I owned my construction business, that is. Hitting a hard spell of feast or famine dought, I thought to divert myself by reading W of N. At about the same time, some friends of mine, in another state, were up before the state DA for price fixing in the construction business. Heh. Hell yead, just about the same time I was reading chapter X page 145 paragraph 27:

"People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the publick, or in some contrivance to raise prices."

SJG! Yead, I like drop out my chair and read and reread that sucker. Sorta makes you suck in your breath and go WTH! Yead buddy, now that's all kinds of right. The shock of finding the predicament my friends, in the year 2000 were in, facing years of prison time, just brought out all kinds of respect for that book written way back in 1775 or so.

Men as they are not they ought to be.