Page 118 - Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich Full Book | Success Learned
P. 118

Only the three basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter have been men-
tioned. The average American citizen has other privileges and advantages availa-
ble in return for modest effort, not exceeding eight hours per day of labor. Among
these is the privilege of automobile transportation, with which one can go and
come at will, at very small cost.

The average American has security of property rights not found in any other coun-
try in the world. He can place his surplus money in a bank with the assurance
that his government will protect it, and make good to him if the bank fails. If an
American citizen wants to travel from one state to another he needs no passport,
no one's permission. He may go when he pleases, and return at will. Moreover, he
may travel by train, private automobile, bus, airplane, or ship, as his pocketbook
permits. In Germany, Russia, Italy, and most of the other European and Oriental
countries, the people cannot travel with so much freedom, and at so little cost.

THE "MIRACLE" THAT HAS PROVIDED THESE BLESSINGS

We often hear politicians proclaiming the freedom of America, when they solicit
votes, but seldom do they take the time or devote sufficient effort to the analy-
sis of the source or nature of this "freedom." Having no axe to grind, no grudge
to express, no ulterior motives to be carried out, I have the privilege of going
into a frank analysis of that mysterious, abstract, greatly misunderstood "SOME-
THING" which gives to every citizen of America more blessings, more opportuni-
ties to accumulate wealth, more freedom of every nature, than may be found in
any other country.

I have the right to analyze the source and nature of this UNSEEN POWER, be-
cause I know, and have known for more than a quarter of a century, many of the
men who organized that power, and many who are now responsible for its main-
tenance. The name of this mysterious benefactor of mankind is CAPITAL!

119

NAPOLEON HILL THINK AND GROW RICH

CAPITAL consists not alone of money, but more particularly of highly organized,
intelligent groups of men who plan ways and means of using money efficiently for
the good of the public, and profitably to themselves. These groups consist of sci-
entists, educators, chemists, inventors, business analysts, publicity men, trans-
portation experts, accountants, lawyers, doctors, and both men and women who
have highly specialized knowledge in all fields of industry and business.

They pioneer, experiment, and blaze trails in new fields of endeavor. They sup-
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