“Crony” capitalism is an inevitability in a capitalist system. If someone gets enough wealth and power they will buy government influence. It’s actually an expression of the “free market” that they can buy a service that’s useful to them. Even within the private sector, powerful companies will form cartels to control the market. The only way out of this is government intervention.
The people with enough wealth and power to buy the government CREATED the US government in the first place. James Madison, founding “father” and 5th POTUS explicitly stated in the Federalist Papers that the purpose of government was to protect the opulent minority from the majority. The idea there could ever be anything but crony capitalism and anything except government run by the richest capitalists is literally contradictory and illogical.
George Washington was also the richest person in the country with the highest number (or close to it, im not sure off the top of my head) of slaves. It’s been “”““crony””“” capitalism this whole time going back before the revolution.
Wasn’t he like constantly fucking broke and asking for loans because he was constantly burning money on dumb shit even with having a whole aristocratic slave estate propping up his opulent lifestyle to the point he had to ask to borrow money to go to his inauguration? Or am I thinking of someone else altogether?
Jefferson definitely had this problem worst of them but it was pretty common among these guys. Washington had weird ‘luck’ and most of his extended family died leaving him with a ton of money and property but the slave-owning class had a hard on for having Stuff instead of cash so they were always kind of broke and taking out loans when they wanted to buy something
slave-owning class had a hard on for having Stuff instead of cash so they were always kind of broke and taking out loans when they wanted to buy something
Probably the most American thing I’ve ever read right there.
They were colonial landowners, only thing differing them from the old decrepit British aristocracy was the lack of old decrepit titles and being snubbed on salons by them. And considering that their slogan was “no taxation without representation” (for them ofc, poors and slaves should just not be seen), seems it was also what bothered them greatly.
“Crony” capitalism is an inevitability in a capitalist system. If someone gets enough wealth and power they will buy government influence. It’s actually an expression of the “free market” that they can buy a service that’s useful to them. Even within the private sector, powerful companies will form cartels to control the market. The only way out of this is government intervention.
The people with enough wealth and power to buy the government CREATED the US government in the first place. James Madison, founding “father” and 5th POTUS explicitly stated in the Federalist Papers that the purpose of government was to protect the opulent minority from the majority. The idea there could ever be anything but crony capitalism and anything except government run by the richest capitalists is literally contradictory and illogical.
George Washington was also the richest person in the country with the highest number (or close to it, im not sure off the top of my head) of slaves. It’s been “”““crony””“” capitalism this whole time going back before the revolution.
Wasn’t he like constantly fucking broke and asking for loans because he was constantly burning money on dumb shit even with having a whole aristocratic slave estate propping up his opulent lifestyle to the point he had to ask to borrow money to go to his inauguration? Or am I thinking of someone else altogether?
Jefferson definitely had this problem worst of them but it was pretty common among these guys. Washington had weird ‘luck’ and most of his extended family died leaving him with a ton of money and property but the slave-owning class had a hard on for having Stuff instead of cash so they were always kind of broke and taking out loans when they wanted to buy something
Probably the most American thing I’ve ever read right there.
Was a shit general too
They were colonial landowners, only thing differing them from the old decrepit British aristocracy was the lack of old decrepit titles and being snubbed on salons by them. And considering that their slogan was “no taxation without representation” (for them ofc, poors and slaves should just not be seen), seems it was also what bothered them greatly.
(the Madison quote)
—James Madison