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Capitalisn't

When Capitalism Becomes Tyranny, with Sohrab Ahmari

Capitalisn't

University of Chicago Podcast Network

Stigler Center, Chicago Booth, Socialism, Antitrust, University Of Chicago Podcast Network, Growth, 087667, Policy, Monopoly, Professors, Distortion, Research, Competition, Capitalisnt, Inequality, Promarket, Politics, Policymaking, Special Interest, Economics, Efficiency, Regulations, Chicago, Business, Markets, University Of Chicago, Kate Waldock, Capitalism, Friction, Bethany Mclean, Government, Macroeconomics, News, Education, Waldock, Georgetown, Microeconomics, Luigi Zingales, Zingales, Finance, Ucpn

4.5584 Ratings

🗓️ 2 November 2023

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In his new book, Sohrab Ahmari argues that the concentration of economic power in the hands of a few corporations has created a new form of tyranny in America. "Coercion is far more widespread in supposedly noncoercive societies than we would like to think—provided we pay attention to private power and admit the possibility of private coercion," he writes. Ahmari, founder and editor of Compact magazine, joins Bethany and Luigi to discuss his book, "Tyranny Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty--and What to Do About It."  In this episode, they discuss the complex relationship between capitalism, personal freedoms, and political power. The conversation sheds light on what classical liberalism ignores, how today's Right is discovering what the Left may have forgotten, and ultimately, where today's political Left and Right may be able to work together.

Transcript

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0:00.0

In terms of having a highly unionized, more regulated capitalist system, yeah, I'm there with, I'm there with Jeremy and Liz Warren and the like.

0:12.8

I'm Bethany McLean.

0:14.6

Did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism and whether greed's a good idea?

0:19.8

And I'm Luigi Zengalis.

0:21.2

We have socialism for the very rich, rugged individualism for the poor.

0:26.7

And this is Capital Isn't, a podcast about what is working in capitalism.

0:30.7

First of all, tell me, is there some society you know that doesn't run on greed?

0:35.1

And most importantly, what isn't?

0:37.1

We ought to do better by the people that get left behind.

0:40.1

I don't think we shouldn't kill the capital system in the process.

0:43.8

Today, the prevailing form of capitalism is neoliberalism.

0:47.0

I think people would define neoliberalism as a set of beliefs and policy recommendations

0:51.9

that emphasize the use of market mechanisms to solve

0:55.0

most of society's problems and needs. In recent year, neoliberalism has been under attack from both

1:01.2

the left and the right. And I have to say, while the left-wing criticism of neoliberalists tend

1:06.2

to repeat the criticism that the left had for a long time, the right-wing criticisms tend to be

1:12.3

a bit more novel, or at least more surprising to me, which doesn't mean necessarily

1:16.4

better, but more interesting, at least I want to understand them better. For this reason,

1:20.7

in recent past, we have interviewed Oren Cass and Patrick Denin, two conservative critics

1:27.0

of near-liberlis. I actually thought it were done. When I start reading, Cass and Patrick Denin. Two conservative critics of neoliberalists.

1:28.4

I actually thought what Dan when I start reading a book by Sora Bamari called Tyranny Inc.

1:36.3

I find this fascinating, this development of neoliberalism and market skepticism on the right.

...

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