Sheldon Richman at FFF: "Capitalism" vs. the Free Market

http://FFF.org

On March 1, 2010 Sheldon Richman gave the following speech at The Future of Freedom Foundations Economic Liberty Lecture Series at George Mason University.

Sheldon Richman is editor of The Freeman, published by The Foundation for Economic Education in Irvington, New York, and serves as senior fellow at The Future of Freedom Foundation. He is the author of FFF's award-winning book Separating School & State: How to Liberate America's Families; Your Money or Your Life: Why We Must Abolish the Income Tax; and Tethered Citizens: Time to Repeal the Welfare State.

Mr. Richman's articles on population, federal disaster assistance, international trade, education, the environment, American history, foreign policy, privacy, computers, and the Middle East have appeared in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, American Scholar, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Washington Times, Insight, Cato Policy Report, Journal of Economic Development, The Freeman, The World & I, Reason, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Middle East Policy, Liberty magazine, and other publications. He is a contributor to the Fortune Encyclopedia of Economics.

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[TheSmokingArgus]

Thank you for getting this up Chris, the Vimeo link on the FFF website is full of lag.

[minnesotachris]

Glad to be of service :-)

[MarmaladeINFP]

If all libertarianism was left-libertarianism as explained in this video, libertarianism would be one of the most popular and populist movements in the US. Right-libertarianism, however, has some strong anti-populist tendencies that makes it less appealing to the average American. All power must be questioned, both public and private. Concentrated power in corporations is no better than in govts.

[warssuckletsparty]

I'm not economically right-wing [I'm actually a social democrat], but I still found this to be one of the most lucid, accurate, and articulate representations of what I've been trying to say on this issue for a long time now. Bravo!

[RyanPig]

@MarmaladeINFP lulok

[MarmaladeINFP]

@RyanPig You seem to have an unreasonably paranoid vision of government in your blaming everything on it. Even the commercial culture caused by corporations is somehow the fault of the government. Your thinking is bizarre. I'm sure it makes sense to you, but I doubt it would make sense to most other people (no matter their ideological persuasion).

[RyanPig]

@MarmaladeINFP I would consider myself a "Right" Libertarian, in that I think the protection of property rights is of the utmost importance in society. This does not imply I lean towards favoring corporate-dominated culture. I think corporations will arise naturally from a free market, but do not think this is a necessary picture of a free society. Often times, what is blamed on corporations is merely the fault of government, including a ridiculous commercial culture.

[riethc]

No discussion of Rosa Luxemburg? Useless talk.

[jackjillsean]

19:00 Ron Paul knows that it has negative connotation epic!

[MarmaladeINFP]

I'm not sure about the criticisms of communism. The examples we have of communist states are to socialism as are the examples we have of fascist states are to free markets. This is the problem of labels. By 'communism', some people simply mean communes that are social rather than govt solutions to social organization. But Sheldon Richman apparently uses 'socialism' as the label for social solutions. I'd just point out there are non-state communes that have successfully existed for decades.

[nicazzo]

Once a famous economist said "Every country is capitalist, they all have capital, the question is how does one manage that capital"

[reljin2]

@hugolp :) check out all-left dot net :)