Miracles We Take For Granted
By Robert Higgs on Mar 1, 2009 in Business, Economics, Trade
I am writing this post on Sunday evening, and I have just finished my supper. For dessert, I had a fresh nectarine with vanilla ice cream. It was heavenly.
Full disclosure: Even though I am extremely fond of many other kinds of fruit, and I do not think that life would be worth living without the banana as a staple of my diet, I regard the nectarine as the queen of the fruits.
The one I consumed this evening came close to perfection: It had just recently ripened fully and had gorgeous colors, inside and outside; its flesh was firm, yet juicy, very sweet, but with enough fruity tanginess that its taste still lingers lovingly on my tongue.
As I enjoyed this heaven-sent delight, I thought to myself: This fruit was grown in Chile. Here I sit, in my home in southeast Louisiana, in a rural area, fifty miles from the nearest big city. Yet I am enjoying the fruit (literally in this case) of someone’s labors in a land many thousands of miles away. It’s not the first time I’ve done so, either, and I fully expect to repeat this experience many times in the future, should fortune decree that my life continue. Indeed, this kind of consumption is a daily occurrence for me, as it is for nearly everyone else in this country.
Yet, how often do we pause to reflect on the near-miraculousness of this manner of living? Fresh fruits delivered in the middle of winter even to remote places all over this country! Who arranges this vast and complex distribution so successfully? How is it even possible to organize all the people who had to cooperate peacefully in order to make my splendid dessert possible. I have no idea who planted the fruit trees, tended them for years until they matured, picked the fruit, packaged and transported it through successive stages until it was ultimately placed on display in the grocery store I patronize. Of course, every one of these unknown people had to have the cooperation, directly or indirectly, of thousands of others, who manufactured the equipment and materials they used, produced the necessary fuels and lubricants, kept the accounts, insured the properties, arranged the payments, and so on and on and on.
Many of us have read Leonard Read little classic “I, Pencil.” A story much like that of Read’s pencil might well be told of millions of articles of commerce, which not only enrich our lives, but, given the billions of people now living on this planet, make possible life itself for the greater number of us.
So, this little celebration of the magnificent, unfathomably complex market process that made my dessert possible, I might well call “I, Nectarine.”
Oh, yes. For my divine nectarine, I paid, as I recall, about 60 cents.
“I’d rather have a rotten nectarine than a fine plum” — Mel Brooks, The 2,000-Year-Old Man
Anthony Gregory | Mar 1, 2009 | Reply
Great post… Of course certain “libertarians” might accuse you of being a “vulgar libertarian” for having the temerity to praise a banana shipped in from Chile, instead of favoring “locally grown” ones. Remember, to them, small is beautiful, and roads and long-distance trade are statist!
Stephan Kinsella | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
But what of the urgent need to attain nectarine independence? Think of all those American jobs that would be created. The fruit might cost three times as much and be of inferior quality, but certain sacrifices must be made.
Steve Hogan | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
Anthony, I believe the preference was versus a ripe honeydew, and I agree with Mel 100% on that one!
D. Saul Weiner | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
D. Saul Weiner: Mr. Weiner, I beg to differ. Click on the YouTube to which I linked and you will see I got it right.
Anthony Gregory | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
I stand corrected. Funny how memory can play games with you.
D. Saul Weiner | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
D. Saul Weiner: Hah! That line has stuck in my mind since childhood, and I was only fortunate to find the YouTube.
Anthony Gregory | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
Mr. Hogan,
Nectarine independence? Creating American jobs and sacrificing free trade? Give me a break!
If you really are serious, let’s outlaw all farming machines to include the tractor and have all our fruit production be done by hand. That will surely “create” a lot of American jobs.
Libertarian Nation | Mar 3, 2009 | Reply
Uh … why would anyone think libetarians are against fruit from Chile? It’s my statist/socialist friends who are protectionist — gotta protect the American worker and all.
I’ve read Sowell, Friedman, Williams, a bit of Hayek. Don’t remember a single paragraph that argued against international trade.
Tom Naughton | Mar 3, 2009 | Reply
Libertarian Nation,
I thought my statement was too ridiculous to be taken seriously. If it makes you feel better, my tongue was firmly in cheek.
Steve Hogan | Mar 3, 2009 | Reply
Mr. Hogan,
I do apologize for being too rash. I thought you were actually serious from reading your comment. Such are the limitations of commenting on the internet. Again, my apologies. And my foot is definitely in my mouth.
Libertarian Nation | Mar 11, 2009 | Reply
Tom Naughton,
You wrote: “Uh … why would anyone think libertarians are against fruit from Chile? It’s my statist/socialist friends who are protectionist—gotta protect the American worker and all.”
There are no libertarians, to my knowledge, who are necessarily against fruit from Chile. Stephan Kinsella is merely beating up on one of his favorite strawmen. His comments regarding mutualists and other left-libertarians should not be taken seriously as he increasingly seems to have no interest in honest, good-faith portrayal of such libertarians.
freeman | Mar 22, 2009 | Reply