Political Capitalism: Warnings and Reality

Atlas Summit 2012 -- With the failure of the Bush/Obama stimulus and scandals with “green jobs” (Solyndra, etc.), crony capitalism has been on the hot seat. Big Government Republicans and Democrats find themselves on the defensive from the Tea Party on one side and Occupy Wall Street on the other.

In this talk, Robert L. Bradley, Jr. discusses the thinkers who have warned against the rise of political capitalism. And he presents the contrasting model of free-market capitalism, including John Hood's "heroic enterprise" and Charles Koch's “principled entrepreneurship.” Tough questions are explored regarding how business should operate in the mixed economy where government favor can set up a clash between profit-maximization and free-market adherence.

Robert L. Bradley, Jr. (www.politicalcapitalism.org) is the CEO & Founder of the Institute for Energy Research. He is the author of seven books, most recently Edison to Enron: Energy Markets and Political Strategies, and blogs at www.masterresource.org.  Bradley's interest has grown from energy regulation to 'sustainable development' issues to political capitalism in theory and practice to the teaching of 'the science of liberty.'

EXPLORE

Interview: The Fall of Ken Lay (Interview with Robert Bradley, Jr.)
Robert Bradley, Jr. was spent many years at Enron and during the company’s last seven years he served as speechwriter and regulatory advisor for Ken Lay. In this fascinating interview Bradley analyzes the foundational causes of the downfall of the company and its hidden "cartel of deceit."

The Two Faces of Capitalism by Robert Bradley, Jr.
Bradley explains why when political capitalists win, consumers, business rivals, and/or taxpayers lose.

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