Capitalism: anti market?

[matgb]

The ever excellent chris_dillow_fd has an excellent summary of the banks reaction to Northern Rock at Stumbling and Mumbling, and naturally I concur completely:

This episode shows that many bosses don't really believe in free markets. Instead, they are like the slaggiest single parent. They pretend to be victims, and expect the state to save people from the consequences of their own stupidity and promiscuity. Indeed, they are worse

A large number of capitalist managers and owners pay lip service to markets, but when it comes down to it would rather not worry about that dangerous 'competition' stuff.

Which is why calling markets 'right wing' is both blinkered and stupid--markets are a tool, a means to an end, and are neutral on left/right alignment. But they are a fundamental tenet of a modern free society.

Comments

[mapp.livejournal.com]

"Which is why calling markets 'right wing' is both blinkered and stupid--markets are a tool, a means to an end, and are neutral on left/right alignment."

The problem is that the right wing has pretty succesfully hijacked the idea of a free market. I wouldn't mind governments saying they're for the free market if they weren't so sodding hypocritical about the whole thing.

(I'm pro-subsidisation, I don't find the idea that the government should help folks out if there's a social need, I just get a bit fed up of hearing about a half-assed, half-hearted approach to the free market from people who should know better...)

[matgb]

the right wing has pretty succesfully hijacked the idea of a free market

Yup, which is why I want to work on claiming them back.

Plus, I've gone away from subsidising in favour of basic essentials--citizen's basic income and get rid of the rest.