0 sats \ 16 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 17 Sep \ parent \ on: Smashing the Western Illusion of Democracy Politics_And_Law
Europe only became wealthy enough to do that after radically liberalizing their economies. Eventually, the rent seeking parasites who you're praising wasted a bunch of resources on these stupid misadventures.
You have causality exactly backwards.
Nonsense- throughout the history of Europe the competition between states and their ability to combine the deliberate strategy of the government with the interests of private enterprise shows that combination is crucial.
Spain and Portugal lost their dominance and wealth because the Protestant English and Dutch were more innovative and had less corrupt governance.
Wealth and success does almost invariably attract corrupt rentseeking parasites.
So yes, eventually successful governments can easily become infested with self serving rentseeking parasites- as has happened to the corporate sponsored US empire today.
In the US government is directed by capital- that is crony capitalism.
In China the government directs capital toward its Belt and Road program of global resource and protocol hegemony.
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Well, we have our predictions. If China ever matches the prosperity of America, without radical market liberalization, feel free to run a victory lap. I'm not holding my breath, though.
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Americas wealth is largely now reliant upon its continued domination and control over the international monetary system.
With Iran and Russia already joined to Chinas CBDC Yuan based alternative the decline of US hegemony could be very swift.
Note Iran and Russia are both attacking US allies and costing US economy, while China enjoys the bonus of discounted oil and gas from two now dependent oil producers.
If the Saudis were to join Russia and Iran maybe then you might start to hold your breathe.
I am not sure of any particular outcome but am surprised by the lack of awareness in The West that is is a process that has been and is progressing in the wrong direction if you prefer Western domination of global resources.
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You haven't said anything that I'm unaware of. I just think you fundamentally misunderstand economics.
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You have not identified any factual error or error in reasoning in my comments.
Now you make a claim that seeks to discredit me while providing no logical factual basis for that claim. Please given credible example of my alleged lack of understanding of economics. I predict you cannot.
The problem instead perhaps is with your ideology Libertarianism and its blindness to the logical and historically self evident crucial determining factor of a states power and strategy being combined with private enterprise in the eternal contest between nation states for resource hegemony.
On that measure today China quite possibly already exceeds to functionality of the USA. That it is a measure you discount the value of but cannot refute speaks volumes.
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It's not a claim. It's an opinion.
I did identify your error, though. It's known as post hoc ergo proctor hoc. You're ascribing causality to things that happened after the fact. Markets create prosperity. Rulers funnel some of that prosperity to suit their own ends. The later does not cause the former.
This is less about libertarianism, than it is my training in economics. Your story doesn't make economic sense. Centrally directed resource allocations do not enhance prosperity. They create distortions in the market, known as dead weight losses, that reduce overall well-being.
What you're demonstrating is a light form of Stockholm Syndrome, where you prioritize the preferences of the ruling class over the preferences of yourself and the other captives. (That is my libertarianism speaking.)
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I pointed out that there are no examples in history of a wealthy economy without a healthy nation state working in concert with private enterprise.
You did not have not and cannot give an example of where a wealthy economy has ever emerged in isolation from nation state governance.
You characterise governments/rulers as parasites 'funneling some of that prosperity to suit their own ends'.
Yet you cannot show any single example in the know history of humanity where private enterprise prospered in isolation and without the collaboration of a government that helps foster and enable the wealth creation, technology, infrastructure, military and resource access that is required to build a strong economy.
You have zero logical retort to the numerous other examples I have given such as Chinas successful strategy of making Russia and Iran monetary and resource tributaries and dependents upon China who at the same time attack the US as proxies imposing huge costs upon the US empire while earning China ever increased profits and captive markets.
That is a highly successful nation state power projection directed strategy in full view and progressing with deadly precision as we watch on helplessly ~ but you have no reply or response because free markets cannot and will not logically respond to let alone reverse such concerted nation state power projection!!
Today the US government is infected with parasitic rentseeking corporate infiltration that cripples any attempt to build and progress a strategic approach where the US and its interests are advanced in a untied and cohesive manner.
In stark contrast today Chinas poliburo clearly does manifest a strategic vision and is directing capital flows toward that strategy known as Belt and Road global resource domination.
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I’m not expecting to change your mind, but I’ve told you what mistake you’re making, why it’s a mistake, and why I believe you’re making it. Disregard all of that if you like. I really don’t care.