Someone asked Samuel Gompers, founder of the AFL, “Sam, what does labor want?” Sam responded, “More.”

That’s what most people want, more. The question is how to obtain it.

The best answer that I’ve heard was, “Do what you do best and trade for the rest.” Just as this will work for an individual, it is also the answer for nation. Do what you do best and trade for the rest.

I started to elaborate on that but I suspect that most people can understand why it works.

This is not a new idea. Adam Smith illustrated it, in different words, in Chapter 11 of his book, AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF THE WEALTH OF NATIONS which was published in 1776.

(I wish that people would not shorten that title and just say “The Wealth of Nations.” The entire title is needed. It’s significant.

Welcome to Clites’ Corner! Roger Clites is a resident of the Tri-Cities area in Northeast Tennessee and is one of our most highly esteemed activists. Roger was born in Indiana in 1928; attended Milligan College and U.T. He first taught at U.T. during the fall term of 1951 before being drafted. After military discharge, he worked briefly in wage & salary administration, then taught full-time from 1956 - 1991. Today, Roger teaches occasional courses for several nearby colleges & universities. Roger’s activism mainly takes form in educating the masses through “letters to the editor”, but he is also known for penning longer essays. His local area has three main papers and Roger seems to get printed quite often in all of them. With his permission we will be sharing some of his insights and letters.