Steve Jobs has passed, well before the time allotted most of us.
Apparently, he was not an easy man to like or get along with. That is often the way with geniuses, those driven by forces most of the rest of us do not see or understand. Yet, the world has lost a great man. Jobs was a hero and true leader. He was unique, a capitalist pioneer and icon.
I own no Apple products. I aspire to own none. Yet Jobs has assisted me and the rest of mankind by his pursuit of profit and perfection. Adam Smith’s “pursuit of self-interest” and its beneficial results for others can be seen clearly in the life of Steve Jobs. Whatever his intentions, he made our lives better by pursuing his dream. Microsoft is a better company as a result of Jobs, just as Apple is a better company as a result of Bill Gates. Innovation and competition, terms no longer understood or particularly acceptable in our increasingly Socialized marketplace., have increased our quality of life.
Steve Jobs was the epitome of capitalism and how it is supposed to work. Apple began as a dream in the mind of Steve Jobs and was implemented in a garage. Today that would likely be illegal as a result of the proliferation of governmental regulations. Now we pretend “partnerships” between government and startups can produce jobs and increased living standards. Government grants with their associated cronyism and corruption produce Solyndras instead of Apples. Taxpayer money is squandered while innovation is suppressed.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have done more good for mankind than all governments combined. Like the giants who preceded them, our lives are better as a result of their striving for excellence, profit or whatever. Steve Jobs name belongs in the pantheon of capitalist heroes like Edison, Ford and others. Bill Gates will some day join him, and not because of his dubious philanthropic efforts.
I thought the following post by Steve Horwitz was a fitting tribute to Mr. Jobs:
RIP: Steve Jobs, Prince of Peace
by Steve Horwitz
Unlike many, I am not an Apple-phile. I honestly don’t get the emotional relationship people have with their products. HOWEVER… there is absolutely no doubt that Steve Jobs is a symbol of all that is right with markets and capitalism. This is a man who became very, very rich by making many people’s lives (including my own) very much better. He was a master at creating value and persuading people that they wanted things they didn’t know they wanted. He should be part of the pantheon of human heroes.
Unlike the political and military heroes of war we too often celebrate, Jobs is a hero of peace. He made his money through persuasion not at the point of a gun, and through mutual benefit not oppression and exploitation. Those of us who really desire a peaceful society should not celebrate those who were victorious in war, but those who created value through peaceful, voluntary, mutually beneficial exchange – exchanges that happen billions of times every single day. And we should do it no matter whether what was exchanged was electronic bits of magic, food for us to eat, or financial instruments that improve the movement of capital. They all create value and improve our lives, and all of their benefits are deserved.
Thanks for everything Steve and thanks for making the world a better place one peaceful, cooperative exchange at a time.
