Re: Public/Private

["David S. Shemano" <dshemano@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Forstater, Mathew" <ForstaterM@xxxxxxxx>
>>
>>
>> The ideas of the Free Trade movement are based on a theoretical error
>> whose practical origin is not hard to identify; they are based on a
>> distinction between political society and civil society, which is made
>> into and presented as an organic one, whereas in fact it is merely
>> methodological. Thus it is asserted that economic activity belongs to
>> civil society, and that the State must not intervene to regulate it. But
>> since in actual reality civil society and State are one and the same, it
>> must be made clear that laissez-faire too is a form of State
>> "regulation", introduced and maintained by legislative and coercive
>> means. It is a deliberate policy, conscious of its own ends, and not the
>> spontaneous, automatic expression of economic facts. (Gramsci)
>>
>> =======================
>>
>> To borrow from Robert Hale and Charles Tilly, free trade, too, is a form
>> of protectionism and rent seeking...........
>>
>>
>> Ian

I am curious-- what is the definition of protectionism and rent seeking that treats free trade as protectionism and rent seeking?  Doesn't that just create analytical confusion?  I mean, cats and dogs are both animals, but why would you want to refer to a dog as a cat?

David Shemano (the conservative who is on the list because he is a masochist)