Politics – Page 2 – Gus diZerega

Hayekian Insights on Capitalism Part II: Capitalism and labor

Posted on March 19, 2015April 19, 2015 by Gus

Introduction

I am drawing a critical distinction between the role played by the market in coordinating human plans and the institutional forms people adopted in pursuing those plans. Market advocates usually assume because the market is formally voluntary, institutions arising … Read more

+

What’s in a Name? Capitalism, Crony Capitalism, and Corporatism: Why Terminology Matters

Posted on March 6, 2015March 7, 2015 by Gus

A number of classical liberals to whom I sent my paper on capitalism and civil society replied there is much with which they agree, but think I should use the term “crony capitalism” rather than “capitalism.” They point out my … Read more

+

Hayekian Insights on Capitalism and Civil Society

Posted on February 28, 2015April 20, 2015 by Gus

This is the first of a series of essays on capitalism. This, the first, is a very theoretical discussion, one relatively light on examples. However those that follow will have examples aplenty. But the theoretical framework is needed to make … Read more

+

Charles Koch, intellectual freedom and the death of libertarian scholarship

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Gus

It looks like the Koch ideological machine is very serious about using Koch money to control the intellectual life of college campuses wherever possible. “Lakey,” a graduate student at Florida State University just wrote an expose for the Tallahassee Democrat… Read more

+

Progressives again blowing the lessons of the election

Posted on January 7, 2015January 8, 2015 by Gus

As Republicans take over the Senate as well as the House, progressive American leaders are trying to find a silver lining, and so far guaranteeing the clouds will remain dark. Think Progress, which has many intelligent posts, has one by … Read more

+

Musings on the Solstice in Dark Times

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Gus

These are dark times for anyone with any affection for the liberal values that underlie the best of this country all the way back to our Founders. From ‘patruots’ who understand this country’s principles as well as Fundamentalists and ISIL … Read more

+

Libertarian critique II: Property rights

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Gus

If anything sets libertarianism as an ideology off from other more reasonable points of view, along with the ‘nonaggression principle’ it is their doctrine of property rights. As with nonaggression, they take a principle nearly all agree on, and then … Read more

+

Libertarian Critique I: The ‘nonaggression principle’

Posted on July 27, 2014July 27, 2014 by Gus

This is the first of what will be a series of posts criticizing libertarian ideology as not up to the claims its advocates claim for it. Perhaps some will even seek to enter into dialogue on this or other issues … Read more

+

Antibiotics and the Market: One more example of the bankruptcy of libertarian ideology

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Gus

Libertarians and ‘free market’ advocates in general claim that markets reflect people’s decisions and values better than any other social institution, and so ‘freedom’ is maximized when markets are ‘unfettered.’ The New Scientist for May 24 has an important example … Read more

+

Taking the Initiative towards electoral reform: a vital role for Maine?

Posted on April 21, 2014July 20, 2014 by Gus

The American political system has become dysfunctional with no hope at the moment for an end to the crisis. Further, those benefiting from the dysfunction have a vested interest in continuing the crisis, and can best do so by continuing … Read more

+