WARREN BURGER ON ECONOMICS II: THE PRIMACY OF POLITICS

Again writing in the margins of H.H. Overstreet's The Mature Mind (1949), Warren Burger reveals an apparent belief in the primacy of politics over economics. In the context of a discussion of how economic pursuits form "the character structures of men" (174), and not always for the better, Overstreet writes: "Whenever our economic order is challenged, its supporters point with pride to the fact . . . that it has raised the material standard of living in those countries where it has been the dominant order" (175). Burger places an asterisk next to that passage and writes at the top of the page:

"This is what leads NAM orators to speak of private enterprize 'making America' when in truth it is America's freedom that made private enterprize."

NAM refers to the National Association of Manufacturers, which nowadays even has a blog, devoted this week primarily to attacks on H.R. 800.

Burger's notes on Overstreet are very interesting; his notes on chapter seven in particular are among the most unexpected finds in the whole collection.