Artist Quote by Leonard Read
“Politicians, bureaucrats, editors, new commentators, 'economists' teachers,' and other word artists who denounce private enterprise and praise socialism are their own worst enemies...these attackers are unwittingly destroying the sources of their own livelihood. They kill the geese that lay the golden eggs - and don't know it!”
About This Quote
Source Book: I, Pencil by Leonard Read, 1958
Critics of private enterprise unintentionally harm their own interests, like destroying golden‑egg‑laying geese.
In simple terms: Opponents of capitalism hurt themselves.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the benefits of free markets.
Themes
economics
critique
free market
self‑sabotage
Mood
critical
educational
Type
economic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy debate
- business education
- public speaking
Key Concepts
incentives
resource allocation
entrepreneurship
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do people resist market solutions?
- How can you illustrate market benefits?
A Different Perspective
Criticism may stem from misunderstanding rather than malice.
![“The solution to this problem [welfare-statism] must take a positive form: the restoration of a faith in what free men can accomplish.” quote by Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/456/leonard-read-14543_accomplish_the-solution-to-this-problem-welfare-sta_46640.jpg)
![“[S]tatism is but socialized dishonesty; it is feathering the nests of some with feathers coercively plucked from others - on the grand scale. There is no moral difference between the act of a pickpocket and the progressive income tax or any other social program.” quote by Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a3e/leonard-read-14543_corruption_s-tatism-is-but-socialized-dishonesty-it_511252.jpg)
