tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post1570427437694167755..comments2024-03-29T10:51:27.752+13:00Comments on Not PC: Cronyism and the Transcontinental RailroadsPeter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post-69723209012066679792014-03-12T06:50:51.735+13:002014-03-12T06:50:51.735+13:00gregster
Invert the words. What about "gover...gregster<br /><br />Invert the words. What about "government cronyism" or "state cronyism"?<br /><br />AmitAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post-64545998988716585932014-03-11T23:15:08.461+13:002014-03-11T23:15:08.461+13:00Of course, the next step in this, a century later,...Of course, the next step in this, a century later, was the Federally funded construction of the interstate highways, which although often justified on national defence grounds, provided a heavily subsidised competition to the railroads AND the railroads were prohibited until the late 1970s from competing effectively with trucking firms.<br /><br />By contrast, socialist France and Italy built the majority of their motorway networks with private companies that tolled them.<br /><br />The United States has long regarded socialism in transportation to be just fine, on a scale that remains higher than it is in most developed countries. Similarly, spot the privately owned major airport in the US - you can't, there aren't any.Libertyscotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741049550997300680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post-62909034033110669602014-03-11T22:55:33.026+13:002014-03-11T22:55:33.026+13:00The author could also help by not employing the co...The author could also help by not employing the contradictory and counter-productive term "crony capitalism."<br /><br /> <br />"The fashionable term “crony capitalism” names the influence-peddling prevalent in today's semi-capitalist semi-statist system. It taps an authentic sense of disgust, but its wording helps our enemies.<br /><br />“Crony capitalism” is not a form of capitalism. It is a form of interventionism. Government favoritism is inherent in interventionism, a mongrel system which can have no objective standards of when to sacrifice whom to whom.<br /><br />(The lobbyists and insiders gain influence over the bureaucracy even when a bureaucrat is incorruptible, because they are in there constantly giving arguments to the bureaucrat. And there's nothing firm and objective to answer those arguments with. Remember, these pull-peddlers are people hired and paid for their persuasiveness.)<br /><br />The term “crony capitalism” not only is illogical, it smears capitalism. It leads one to form an association between capitalism and immorality. Would you use the term “crony freedom”? But capitalism is freedom.<br /><br />At minimum, “crony capitalism” implies “one form of capitalism is bad.” But there are not forms of capitalism, there is just capitalism, and it is perfect.<br /><br />So what term should be used instead? I noticed Yaron Brook using the term “cronyism” recently. That's infinitely better, but not ideal because it doesn't name that which permits influence-peddling.<br /><br />I thought of “crony fascism,” but that has two problems. First, “fascism” is such a highly charged term that it risks short-circuiting the listener's brain and diverting the discussion. (It's fine to say things like “we are moving in the direction of fascism” if then explained—that's very different in its psycho-epistemological effect on the listener.) Second, “crony fascism” white-washes fascism. It suggests that some forms of fascism are better (this is the inverse of the problem with the term “crony capitalism.”)<br /><br />My best candidates are: “crony statism” and, partly for continuing the alliteration, “crony communism.” I hesitate on the latter for the same reasons as I gave against “crony fascism.” But it has the advantage of people recognizing that communism is the opposite of capitalism, and sensing the reversal you are trying to make.<br /><br />All in all, I think “crony statism” is the best. “Statism,” fortunately has come into vogue and its use should be reinforced. Also, there are different degrees of implementation of statism: welfare-statism is not as bad as full statism.<br /><br />One final candidate: “crony government.” Not as philosophical, but it puts the blame were it belongs, concretely."<br /><br />Harry Binswanger, 31/10/2011gregsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04786701115887458801noreply@blogger.com