Leiter-Caplan Debate

Bryan Caplan

Categories: Cross-country Comparisons Economic Philosophy

By Bryan Caplan, Mar 10 2020

Tomorrow I’m debating the University of Chicago’s Brian Leiter on “Capitalism, Social Democracy, and Socialism” at the University of Wisconsin. Open to the public.

While I plainly differ strongly with Leiter on the topic of contention, I smile upon his critique of the Orwellian “diversity and inclusion” movement, especially his efforts to get UC Berkeley sued for viewpoint discrimination.

READER COMMENTS

READ COMMENT POLICY

nobody.really

Mar 10 2020 at 9:37am

It is far more likely that by the time nationalization has become the rule, and private enterprise the exception, Socialism (which is really rather a bad name for the business) will be spoken of, if at all, as a crazy religion held by a fanatical sect in that darkest of dark ages, the nineteenth century. Already, indeed, I am told that Socialism has had its day, and that the sooner we stop talking nonsense about it and set to work, like the practical people we are, to nationalize the coal mines and complete a national electrification scheme, the better. And I, who said forty years ago that we should have had Socialism already but for the Socialists, am quite willing to drop the name if dropping it will help me to get the thing. What I meant by my jibe at the Socialists of the eighteen-eighties was that nothing is ever done, and much is prevented, by people who do not realize that they cannot do everything at once.

George Bernard Shaw, The Intelligent Woman’s Guide To Socialism and Capitalism (1928), republished as The Intelligent Woman’s Guide To Socialism, Capitalism, Sovietism, and Fascism (1937).

Comments are closed.

There is much wisdom in this piece by Theodore Darlymple on the coronavirus epidemic. At the end of the article, he writes: The world has suddenly woken up to the dangers of allowing China to be the workshop of the world and of relying on it as the ultimate source for supply chains for almost everything, from cars to ...

Mar 10 2020

Liberty

Dishonesty is a core nationalist value, perhaps th...

Scott Sumner

Ross Douthat recently suggested that President Trump had failed to adequately address the coronavirus crisis, and that this failure was difficult to explain given Trump's emphasis on protecting our borders from foreign threats. I see his point, but I also believe that Douthat has somewhat misunderstood Trump's core val...

Mar 10 2020

Cross-country Comparisons

Leiter-Caplan Debate

Bryan Caplan

Tomorrow I'm debating the University of Chicago's Brian Leiter on "Capitalism, Social Democracy, and Socialism" at the University of Wisconsin. Open to the public. While I plainly differ strongly with Leiter on the topic of contention, I smile upon his critique of the Orwellian "diversity and inclusion" movement, ...

COLLECTION: CROSS-COUNTRY COMPARISONS

The article you’re reading is part of Econlib’s Cross-country Comparisons collection. Explore other Cross-country Comparisons articles:

Nov 10 2023

Relative Prices in China

Scott Sumner
Nov 6 2023

China's Best Province

Scott Sumner
Nov 2 2023

Old Calabria: The Benefits of Emigration

Scott Sumner
Oct 23 2023

Demographics are Not Japan's Problem

Scott Sumner

Leiter-Caplan Debate

Bryan Caplan

READER COMMENTS

nobody.really

Mar 10 2020 at 9:37am

RECENT POST

Dalrymple on Coronavirus

Alberto Mingardi

Dishonesty is a core nationalist value, perhaps th...

Scott Sumner

Leiter-Caplan Debate

Bryan Caplan