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Author: E. L. Doctorow
Quotes of Author: E. L. Doctorow

E. L. Doctorow
The historian will tell you what happened
E. L. Doctorow
Generally speaking a view of the available economic systemsthat have been tested historically must acknowledge the immensepower of capitalism to generate living standards food housingeducation the amenities to a degree unprecedented in humancivilization. The benefits of such a system while occasionallyrandom and unpredictable with periods of undeniable stressand misery depression starvation and degradation areinevitably distributed to a greater and greater percentageof the population. The periods of economic stability alsoensure a greater degree of popular political freedomand among the industrial Western democracies today despiteoccasional suppression of free speech quashing of dissentcorruption of public officials and despite the tendency oflegislation to serve the interests of the ruling businessoligarchy the poisoning of the air water the chemical adulterationof food the obscene development of hideous weaponry theincreased costs of simple survival the waste of human resourcesthe ruin of cities the servitude of backward foreign populationsthe standards of life under capitalism by any criterion arefar greater than under state socialism in whatever formsit is found British Swedish Cuban Soviet or Chinese. Thusthe good that fierce advocacy of personal wealth accomplishesin the historical run of things outweighs the bad. And whilewe may not admire always the personal motives of our businessleaders we can appreciate the inevitable percolation of the good life as it comes down through our native American soil.You cannot observe the bounteous beauty of our county nor takepleasure in its most ordinary institutions in peace and safetywithout acknowledging the extraordinary achievement ofAmerican civilization. There are no Japanese bandits lyingin wait on the Tokaidoways after all. Drive down th