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Will Trump’s “State Capitalism … a Hybrid Between Socialism and Capitalism” Make America Great Again?

To be clear, Trump is not pursuing traditional socialism, where the means of production are owned by the state. Nor is he trying to copy exactly China’s state capitalism—but he is applying its methods with what the Journal calls “American characteristics.”

The War on Capital — Not Terrorism

The War on Capital — Not Terrorism

Just as they’ve blurred the distinction between legal tax avoidance and illegal tax evasion, OECD officials have tried to blur the distinction between money-laundering and tax havens — even though the latter involves moving illegally-gained money above-ground, from the…

Alan Greenspan: Ayn Rand’s Failed Student

Alan Greenspan: Ayn Rand’s Failed Student

As legend has it, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan was once a member of Ayn Rand’s 1960’s salon. He was an invited guest at Rand’s apartment and apparently was close enough to have read her epic Atlas Shrugged as it came off her typewriter....

“Open Space” = Housing Ban

“Open Space” = Housing Ban

A black man waiting at a bus stop called to me as I was bicycling down the street: “You’re the first black man I have seen over here in a long time.” “It will be a long time before you see the next one,” I said, and we both laughed. In a...

The Stock Market, Profits, and Credit Expansion

The Stock Market, Profits, and Credit Expansion

The actual nature and consequences of the profit motive in a free market, an explanation of how profits are profoundly distorted by forcible government interference in the form of inflation and credit expansion, in ways that directly explain both the stock market boom o…

Bear Market Performers

America’s stock market has lost a fifth of its value since mid-March, and shares in other countries haven’t done much better. But on Wednesday, July 17, while the Dow Jones industrial average was falling 283 points, 87 stocks on the three major U.S....

Principles and Policy: Will Bush Trip Over Pears?

Once the Bush administration abandoned the principles of free trade by imposing punitive tariffs on imported steel, it was only a matter of time before other industries sought government redress for their own failure to compete successfully. Case in point: Pears....

Capitalism Without Capital

Capitalism Without Capital

“There is no capitalism without conscience. There is no wealth without character,” President Bush told Wall Street yesterday. True. But if business owners are not smart enough to see that it’s in their own economic self-interest to be honest with...

An Ancient Fallacy: Price Controls

An Ancient Fallacy: Price Controls

When Hawaii recently passed a law controlling how high the price of gasoline can go in that state, it was the first law controlling the price of gasoline since 1981, when President Ronald Reagan ended federal control over oil prices. What was unusual about the...

Microsoft’s Nose, Technology’s Face

Microsoft’s Nose, Technology’s Face

When future policymakers want to understand the law and economics surrounding one of the most watched antitrust cases in history, they will look to “Microsoft, Antitrust and the New Economy,” a recent compilation of essays published by the Milken...

An Old “New Vision” for “Affordable Housing”

An Old “New Vision” for “Affordable Housing”

Despite the fanfare of a televised speech at the National Press Club in Washington, a very old and hackneyed set of proposals was unveiled as a “new vision” for the creation of “affordable housing.” The speech was by Richard Ravitch,...

Ken Iverson: Proof that Ayn Rand’s Heroes Exist

Ken Iverson: Proof that Ayn Rand’s Heroes Exist

Many Objectivists read the book American Steel about Ken Iverson’s amazing corporate leadership in developing new technology for steel producers when Big Steel was floundering under old ideas and crippling unions. Dr. Edwin Locke also made many mentions of him,...

It’s Time for Congress to Re-evaluate Antitrust

It’s Time for Congress to Re-evaluate Antitrust

The following written testimony was submitted to the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary for its hearings on the proposed Microsoft antitrust settlement. On behalf of the Center for the Moral Defense of Capitalism, I respectfully submit my testimony to the US Senate...

OPEC, Oil, and Energy Economics 101

We are all familiar with pundits from all corners decrying our dependence on foreign oil. Before the oil embargo in the 70’s and subsequent attempts to wean ourselves from OPEC, we were importing about 25% of our oil and now we are importing over 50%. This is...

The “Rent Control” Housing Farce: Part II

The “Rent Control” Housing Farce: Part II

Too many people who talk about a lack of “affordable housing” seem to think that this is something the government must build or subsidize. It never seems to occur to them that government activity is itself one of the biggest reasons for housing being...

The “Rent Control” Housing Farce: Part I

The “Rent Control” Housing Farce: Part I

A RECENTLY published housing study says: “San Francisco is one of the densest large cities in the U.S.” That is true in both senses of the word “dense.” Nowhere are San Franciscans more dense than when talking about housing — especially...

Journalists and Economics 101

Journalists and Economics 101

Is deficit spending “a potent recession cure when administered properly”? A newspaper business writer made this assertion in an article entitled “The Budget Deficit Faced by Many States.” But is it true, that it’s a good thing when...

AOL Antitrust Suit Against Microsoft

Instead of straightening out its business problems, AOL has decided to spend its time and effort filing lawsuits against tough competitors – a petty, distracting pursuit that won’t help AOL or, for that matter, the U.S. economy, which depends on firms like Microsoft for…

Activism in Defense of Microsoft

Activism in Defense of Microsoft

For over four years, CMDC and its supporters have been outspoken advocates against antitrust and the current antitrust case against Microsoft. Before us today is the last chance to tell the government regulators that Microsoft should be lauded, instead of punished for...

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