It is sad and ironic that I, a communist, find myself defending capitalist economics against Libertarians. I, an atheist, might as well be defending liberal Christianity against the fundamentalists.
The difference is, of course, that there is at least some truth to capitalist economics. Not much, I concede, but some truth nonetheless. And it's a shorter step to communism from modern capitalist economics, especially Keynesian economics, than it is from Libertarian laissez faire economics. The latter is almost completely delusional.
Saturday, April 09, 2011
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The dynamics of capitalism change dramatically as the state itself becomes a traded commodity. We are just a few percentage points off from a flat tax rate. With the repeal of the estate tax the ultra-rich will be able to turn the means of production into a rite of birth. I'm not sure what there is to defend in capitalism. I expect communists will begin asking themselves what type of revolutionary will emerge: a Lenin, A Trotsky, or a Mao?
ReplyDelete"The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state. The expense of government to the individuals of a great nation is like the expense of management to the joint tenants of a great estate, who are all obliged to contribute in proportion to their respective interests in the estate. In the observation or neglect of this maxim consists what is called the equality or inequality of taxation." -- Adam Smith