I recently happened upon a great essay by Armen Alchian on Golf, Capitalism, and Socialism. The piece was written in 1977 so you will find references to the communist bloc that may seem out of place.
A puzzle has been solved. Despite their intense interest in sports, no golf courses exist in the Socialist-Communist bloc. Why is golf solely in capitalist societies? Because it is not merely a sport. It is an activity, a lifestyle, a behavior, a manifestation of the essential human spirit. Golf’s ethic, principles, rules and procedures of play are totally capitalistic. They are antithetical to socialism. Golf requires self-reliance, independence, responsibility, integrity and trust. No extenuation is granted misfortune, mistake or incompetence. No second change. Like life, it is often unfair and unjust, with uninsurable risks. More than any other sport, golf exploits the whole capitalist spirit.
Here is the whole essay, its worth a read.
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I am looking forward to a discussion of Alchian and his contributions to our understanding of liberty and choice at a colloquia this next week in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Alchian, in the essay that Scott mentions, models two rhetorical strategies that contribute to a civil conversation.
The first is his selection of a common example for topic that lends itself well to comparison and contrast.
The second is the tone Alchian uses throughout his work - while he clearly advocates for liberty and choice, he does so in a manner that does not demean or attack those who might not agree with, in Alchian's case, the importance of property rights to liberty, freedom and choice.
I blog on the topic of civil conversation over on Liberty
http://libertyandresponsibility.blogspot.com/2009/10/elearning-for-educators-progressive.html
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