[OT] Dry writers and economic systems

[Lulu of the Lotus-Eaters]

Steve Holden wrote:
> I often wonder whether socialism might not have been more popular if
> it had been presented in less ponderous (not to say turgid) prose.

Alex Martelli <aleax at aleax.it> wrote previously:
|Capitalism did survive despite the turgid prose of Von Mises, no?-)

I would say that capitalism DID NOT survive Von Mises.  Every existing
national economy--including (or especially) those that most tout
capitalism--have substantial state involvement in corporate affairs.
For the most part, these amount to providing a "safety net" for the
super-rich; but all aspects of regulation, infrastructure, IP
protection, tariffs, tax subsidies of sectors, and just plain government
spending, contradict Von Mises notion of what a capitalist economy would
be.  In fact, state sectors are larger, as GDP percentage, in the most
ideologically capitalist countries than they were in the formerly-
existing or still-existing socialist nations.

I'm not sure old Ludwig deserves all the credit though.  But John
Maynard, it must be observed, was certainly a more lithe writer.

Yours, Lulu...

--
 mertz@   _/_/_/_/_/_/_/ THIS MESSAGE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:_/_/_/_/ v i
gnosis  _/_/                    Postmodern Enterprises         _/_/  s r
.cx    _/_/  MAKERS OF CHAOS....                              _/_/   i u
      _/_/_/_/_/ LOOK FOR IT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU_/_/_/_/_/    g s