correspondent KJ asks:
“Why do people confuse corporate capitalism with libertarianism?”
correspondent Bret Hinowi is also particularly puzzled, insofar as “corporatism is bipartisan policy. They seem to want to defend it and oppose it at the same time.”
I too am sad, but hopeful anyway, as long as there are still people like me around to come up with answers to KJ’s and others’ questions. Maybe the insights are helpful.
People don’t like thinking.
Thinking is hard. It’s easier to equate tropes.
Corporadoes and Banksters deal in money and “capitalists are all about making money” so therefore our corporatist (or “fascist,” Benito had a hard time deciding which) status quo is called “capitalist” in spite of the mountains of impedimenta erected by the state, and the special favors offered to loyal campaign contributors.
Leftists, mystics, and children believe that buying bureaucrats and legislators are “free market” activities. PJ O’Rourke reminds us that when legislatures are charged with deciding what gets bought or sold, then the first things bought or sold are legislators.
We don’t need to get all the big money out of politics.
We need to get all the big politics out of our money.
correspondent Von Tietje wonders: “How many actual scientists do you know?“
Golly, in light of my Mom once asserting that she knew me better than I knew myself, I have to doubt if I really know any other scientists either.
So… let’s pretend it’s zero. How would that disqualify me from analyzing mathematical models or understanding the difference between the literal and the allegorical? Many lay enthusiasts are well versed in arcana outside their professions. A draft dodger can be an astute military analyst and a paraplegic can be well schooled in baseball, and I may not even be an actual scientist or engineer.
Maybe, like Charlie, “I’m not even here!”