Opening Words
The very first words in the book are a quote from Robert Kuttner from his book Everything for Sale. It is utilized by the author of this book to introduce a fundamental foundational idea for the writer. From this idea springs everything that will be thematically explored. That idea is framed in metaphor:
“When everything is for sale, the person who volunteers time, who helps a stranger, who agrees to work for a modest wage out of commitment to the public good, who desists from littering even when no one is looking, who forgoes an opportunity to free-ride, begins to feel like a sucker.”
Adam’s Truly Invisible Hand
Adam Smith is the godhead of conservative capitalist economics. What is most astonishing about Smith’s economic worldview is that it is, literally, the only serious economic theory based upon a metaphor. Unfortunately, the history of capitalism is one which has viewed Smith’s metaphor as being literally true. In most cases, of course, it is not. Unfortunately, it seems to be literally present often enough to still be taken seriously.
“When the eighteenth-century economist Adam Smith extolled the invisible hand, he was referring to the decentralized, automatic, self- regulating forces of supply and demand in competitive markets.”
The Invisible Handshake
The author cleverly tweaks the idea of Smith’s invisible hand to introduce her own metaphor into the mix. A metaphor that is also sort of literally true just enough to be taken seriously:
“It’s always easier to cut a deal with someone if you’re sure they’re not going to cut your throat. The invisible handshake helps the invisible hand.”
The Invisible Heart
Okay, so Adam Smith’s mostly non-existent and almost entirely metaphorical invisible hand is primal to the existence of capitalism. The invisible handshake introduces the element of trust and good faith dealing. So, what’s the deal with the title, then?
“The invisible hand represents the forces of supply and demand in competitive markets. The invisible heart represents family values of love, obligation, and reciprocity.”
The Golden Goose Egg
The author at one point takes issue with one of the most familiar metaphorical maxims around. That one about avoiding killing any goose that lays eggs of gold. It is a metaphorical image engaged, surprisingly enough, at the beginning of a chapter dealing with the issue of taxation:
“Conservatives argue that steep taxes on wealth and income penalize hard work, risk-taking, and saving —the very forces that foster economic growth. Their favorite maxim is “Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. I’ve never understood this goose business. It seems as though a bird that lays golden eggs would find it difficult to reproduce itself over time."
