Comments on: Corporatism

By: Positive Liberty » Why I Don’t Want United Government

Positive Liberty » Why I Don’t Want United Government — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:15:42 +0000

[...] pernicious effects of a liberal, corporatist health care scam will include the enrichment of the few — privileged government [...]

By: Positive Liberty » Occasional Notes: Weird Food and Devastation

Positive Liberty » Occasional Notes: Weird Food and Devastation — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:35:43 +0000

[...] First, the serious bit: Matt comments (on “Corporatism“), Something like this is, I think behind the opposition to markets by the European left. Consider a typical privatisation in an EU country. [...]

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:58:53 +0000

Something like this is, I think behind the oposition to markets by the European left. Consider a typical privatisation in an EU country.

Corporation makes a donation to ruling political party.

Corporation is invited to tender for a government asset.

Corporation gains control of that asset for far less than it would fetch in an open market.

Government provides a subsidy that more than repays whatever the corporation paid for the asset.

Any profits are taken by the corporation, any losses are met by the taxpayer.

And this we are told is the marvel of the free market and private enterprise!

By: D.A. Ridgely

D.A. Ridgely — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:37:32 +0000

…the Progressive Era was a time in which both corporatism and socialism received major steroid injections.

… because they’re both about the growth of government. The more things change …

By: VRB

VRB — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:14:24 +0000

Some people that know the difference as to what you mean, hear “free market” and think chaos.

By: James Hanley

James Hanley — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:23:44 +0000

“Principled advocacy of the free market requires an understanding of the differences between genuine free enterprise and ’state capitalism’…”

As does principled opposition to free markets, where this distinction is sadly lacking. I’ve lost count of the number of times people have told me that what I really mean by free markets is corporatism. They have a hard time parsing that word “free” apparently.