Tuesday, November 8, 2011

If State Capitalism Is So Good, Why Are Russian And Chinese Entrepreneurs Fleeing?

State capitalism was touted by Lenin as a positive step on the road to socialism. By state capitalism, Lenin meant a “commanding heights” of large businesses and trusts controlled by a state that served the interests of the working class.

Lenin’s transitory state capitalism of the 1920s was replaced by Stalin’s command economy. Postwar France’s dirigisme and Japan’s industrial policy were both failed experiments with state capitalism, but it is alive and, some think, well in China, Russia, Brazil, and many other countries.

I spent four days in Moscow last week, attending a conference on the Gulag system and renewing old acquaintances. On my last visit three years ago, I encountered mixed opinions on Vladimir Putin. He had some strong defenders and few vehement opponents.  This time, the common response to Putin’s return to the Presidency was: “Why do we need that guy back?”

go the Forbes.com

1 comment:

  1. You do know that France had it's highest economic growth during the Gaulist Dirigisme (Famously called "Les Trentes Glorieuses").

    I also suggest Chalmers Johnson's book on Japanese MITI:

    http://www.amazon.com/MITI-Japanese-Miracle-Industrial-1925-1975/dp/0804712069

    ReplyDelete