Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Capitalism is not Corporatism
IREF ^ | Ram Mudambi, Samuele Murtinu

Posted on 11/09/2026 7:51:09 AM PST by CondoleezzaProtege

What are these ills that are laid at the door of capitalism? Just a short list includes: business monopolies that jack up prices and prey on captive consumers; laws favoring vested industry interests passed through lobbying, often in backroom insider deals; barriers to entry to squelch small competitors; fatcat executives without accountability to shareholders and multi-million-dollar payouts; systemic crises created by financial or corporate scandals; and the list goes on…

But none of these ills is an attribute of capitalism – in fact, in a truly capitalistic system every one of these ills would disappear. These ills are the outcome of what Eisenhower long ago called “the military-industrial complex”.

And there is a name for this system – corporatism.

Corporatism is capitalism’s evil twin – identical in its external form, but the polar opposite in its internal beliefs and underlying principles.

There is one fundamental principle that illustrates this black-and-white distinction. The core tenet of capitalism is “free markets and free entry”. This has been true at least since Adam Smith’s famous first exposition of the “invisible hand” in The Wealth of Nations way back in 1776.

Corporatism, on the other hand, draws its inspiration from the Keynesian welfare systems, Fordist industrial organization, and the intricate networks of organized interest representation and industrial relations systems, with large firms having quasi-public status and being key actors in macro policy decisions.

(Excerpt) Read more at en.irefeurope.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Reference
KEYWORDS: adamsmith; capitalism; communistprotege; corporatism; corruption; economics; eisenhower; keynes; keynesian; randspam; takeoutthetrash; tds
Message from Jim Robinson:

Dear FRiends,

We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.

If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you,

Jim

What we have right now in American is corporatism. The uniparty in Washington oversees it. Trump failed in his mandate to address it. And the midterms were a multipartisan backlash.
1 posted on 11/09/2026 7:51:09 AM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

Corporatism

Profits are privatized
Losses are socialized


2 posted on 11/09/2026 7:56:53 AM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democratic Senate nominee, has cited Adam Smith to explain his economic worldview and defend his identity as a capitalist rather than a socialist.


This guy is slick, and underestimate him at your peril.


3 posted on 11/09/2026 7:59:13 AM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

Corporatism involves corporate culture and how much of it is popular, I have no idea.

Right around 2012, 2013, I came to the realization that I still like the work I do in my chosen profession but that I had grown to dislike the business. Gee, I wonder why!


4 posted on 11/09/2026 8:00:59 AM PST by equaviator (Nobody's perfect. That's why they put pencils on erasers!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

Sad but true.


5 posted on 11/09/2026 8:06:36 AM PST by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

“Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory,
and stretch themselves upon their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock,
and calves from the midst of the stall;
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
and like David invent for themselves instruments of music;
who drink wine in bowls,
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore they shall now be the first of those to go into
exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away.”
(Amos 6:4-7)


6 posted on 11/09/2026 8:19:21 AM PST by Engraved-on-His-hands (If someone says that there are no absolutes, ask them if they are absolutely sure.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege
Trump The Republican Congress failed in his their mandate to address it. And the midterms were a multi-partisan backlash.
Fixed.
7 posted on 11/09/2026 8:31:05 AM PST by Bratch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

I prefer not to employ the term “capitalism”, as it emphasizes the central role of capital.

To me, the essential feature of the character of our financial system is “Free Enterprise”.

Adam Smith certainly did not and would not use or identify with the term “capitalism”.


8 posted on 11/09/2026 8:41:44 AM PST by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: No name given ; dfwgator

I think Ron Paul types suggest the same. Regardless, until the GOP expresses the same instinctual aversion to those who ooze corruption and pay to play scheming like the Ken Paxtons and Mike Rogers of the world…If those are the candidates the GOP continues to put forth, electoral defeat will continue to be the rule.


9 posted on 11/09/2026 8:49:13 AM PST by CondoleezzaProtege (🩰🎬🗺️)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Sivana

And now you have Democrats, like El-Sayed, claiming they are fans of Adam Smith.


10 posted on 11/09/2026 8:52:28 AM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

“Corporatism” is just a fancy Socialist term to disguise their hate of Capitalism.


11 posted on 11/09/2026 8:55:36 AM PST by AppyPappy (They don't call you a Nazi because they think you are one. They do it to justify violence. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_El-Sayed


12 posted on 11/09/2026 9:02:06 AM PST by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy

Guess we are headed a Socialist direction then if GOP doesn’t wake up and figure out how to put forth an economic vision voters don’t associate with corruption and Epstein ick.


13 posted on 11/09/2026 9:02:27 AM PST by CondoleezzaProtege (🩰🎬🗺️)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

“Capitalism is not Corporatism”

This should be said every day. Sadly, it is said once every 6 months.


14 posted on 11/09/2026 9:04:58 AM PST by ProgressingAmerica (Progressivism was America's first Postliberal ideology. Ask me for details.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

No one touched corruption until this admin started looking into Learing Centers and such. Epstein has no effect on my life unlike high taxes and crime. Most people are concerned with real issues that affect them, not celebrity issues.


15 posted on 11/09/2026 9:07:49 AM PST by AppyPappy (They don't call you a Nazi because they think you are one. They do it to justify violence. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

Before Adam Smith the Contillon Effect
The Cantillon Effect describes the uneven effect inflation has on goods and assets in an economy. Since new fiat money is injected into an economy at specific points, its effects are felt by different people and industries at different times. This distorts relative prices and benefits certain parties while disadvantaging others .
I say this is the root of the distortion of income inequality effect.
Change my mind.


16 posted on 11/09/2026 9:07:50 AM PST by griswold3 (Truth, Beauty and Goodness)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

Respectfully disagree, ma’am.

The left demands government control of industries. It voted to save and extend that.


17 posted on 11/09/2026 9:14:49 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson