http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/lpbr/subpages/reviews/vargasllosa405.htm
The above book explains why Latin America is a mess, and can give us
some ideas of why (and how) similar ideology can destroy our own economy. He
writes:
"Vargas Llosa diagnoses the region's woes as the outcome of
five "principles of oppression": corporatism, state mercantilism,
privilege, wealth transfer, and political law."
Corporativism is the interference of corporations and wealthy
individuals in Government. Often corporativism masks itself
as "conservativism or libertarianism" -- but he rightly identifies
corporativism and the related evil of "state mercantilism" as a
causative for economic misfortune. It is rule by the Lobbyist and
Campaign contribution or bribe. Mercantilism is the turning from the principle of competition to the principle of monopoly/oligopoly.
Privilage is the failure to apply the principle of equal application
of the law. It includes such phenomena as corruption, legal favoritism, and even explains why there is such disparity between punishments for the well placed and wealthy.
Wealth Transfer in Latin America can better be described as
Kleptocracy or "class warfare" -- the wealthy and connected against
everyone else. It is the tendancy for the political classes to agree about only one thing -- the utility of stealing from productive or ordinary people. Applies equally to Castro or Pinochet.
Chris
Political law is the state where Judges are not independent. It is the end goal of the "Federalist Society" -- though you'd never find them admitting it.
I find this interesting because these five things are also
threatening our own country.
Chris
Posted by cholte at February 19, 2007 07:45 PM