THE EDITOR'S JOURNAL
By Dave Hastings
Profit from Fur
Why do we trap? Strange question to those of us for whom trapping is as natural as eating and breathing. We list recreation, exercise, time with nature, etc., but lately we have shied away from the idea of income. Somehow making a profit has developed a bad name these days. That is partially understandable after seeing what corporations like Goldman/Sacks did during the housing bubble. Billions were made and lost in a matter of months, and virtually nothing concrete or usable was produced. Those Wall Street pirates continue the high life, while the rest of us are looking for work and paying bills. Somehow the idea of earning a buck producing something useful has lost its appeal.
It may be that in the long run, this philosophical shift may pose more of a threat to trapping than the animal rights kooks. Our culture is diminishing the value of hard work producing a durable product for the benefit of everyone.
This kind of thinking is tough to address in a short editorial, but I have to start with the man from whom most of the economic foundations of our country were drawn: Adam Smith. This Scottish intellect published The Wealth of Nations in 1776, making the timing just right. In The Wealth of Nations, he argued that when a citizen created a product by the sweat of his brow that was of value to his fellow men, he did so because of his own self-interest—he wants to earn a living. In doing so, society gets a valuable product, and receives a benefit in return, making both the individual and the society better off. He described that self-interest which produces such goods as the “invisible hand.” His language is a bit outdated, but the ideas are clear:
“By directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.”
When a trapper produces a fur for the garment industry, it benefits him personally in the form of a fur check. It, almost by accident, also benefits the tanneries, the garment industry, and ultimately anyone who is shivering through a chilly winter. Additionally it is a critical benefit for food producers and the food industry (well, then, including everyone who eats…) and of course wildlife management benefits the populations of animals themselves. But initially the trapper doesn’t do it for the Italian coat maker, the fashion model, the farmer, or the raccoon; he does it because it brings him personal value. Self-interest drives him, through the sweat of his brow, to produce something concrete that has value to the world.
A few trappers will say that the money is not important—even suggesting that earning money from fur is somehow less than honorable. Animal rights activists would argue that the capitalist model that profits from natural products is inherently evil, and of course brought the end of the passenger pigeon, the Do-do bird, and the buffalo. I would argue that both positions hurt trappers, hurt our economy, and may threaten the very existence of our country as we know it.
I am going over the line now on politics, but in my simple mind it all fits together. I am not certain it is correct (who can sort the fact from the “news” propaganda these days) but I heard that the tax burden on a current high school senior, during their productive years, will be twice what it is now. The math may be off, but trillions of dollars in debt will somehow have to be paid back. We have a government of entitlements. We believe the government should provide for us. Smith, however, said, “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” That “…regard to their own interest…” translates into working hard to produce something of value that renders a profit to the maker. Trapping for profit does exactly that.
I am in complete agreement with all the reasons for trapping—I love the recreation of trapping; I understand the burden we have to manage wildlife; I can sure use the exercise. What I do not want to lose is the value of working hard, producing something of value, receiving the personal benefit, and improving the lives of everyone. That’s a pretty hefty reward. Earning a buck; producing something useful; for a profit.
I heard another wise quote: “The government cannot give you anything that it does not take away from someone else.” Let’s hope that in future generations, there will be someone out there producing something of value, so that at least there will be someone for government to take something away from.
Copyright @2010 Fur Takers of America, Inc.
