A Happier Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Last year at this season, I posted in praise and gratitude to “the virtually omnipresent, almost omniscient entity who is glad to help you with your questions,” and I warned that Google might be less helpful within a year.

This Thanksgiving, I’m glad Google continues to be helpful. The antitrust case against it fizzled —in this country. But the company continues to face a threat from the European antitrust authorities .

Of course, Google is only one of the victims of antitrust law . And antitrust is just one of many ways governments restrict the freedom to produce material values for the support and enjoyment of one’s own life .

In Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand reminds us—in the voice of Hank Rearden—that “Thanksgiving was a holiday established by productive people to celebrate the success of their work.” But the next day, Rearden goes on trial for daring to dispose of his own product as he saw fit.

This Thanksgiving, let’s celebrate our successes and the marvelous productive achievements that enrich our lives. Let’s take a moment to thank those whose achievements we enjoy, beginning with ourselves. But let us also pause to acknowledge that productive achievement takes freedom, and that the freedom to produce and trade in pursuit of one’s own happiness is heavily restricted. If we had a freer Thanksgiving, we’d have a happier one.

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