Capitolism

by Don Boudreaux on July 14, 2009

Here’s a letter that I sent a few days ago to the Washington Post:

Dear Editor:

Five-hundred and thirty-six officials – one at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and the others a few blocks down that boulevard of brazen busybodies – are frenetically trying to lord it over ever-more vast aspects of our lives. Sen. Orrin Hatch wants Washington to correct what he divines to be imperfections in the method of choosing which teams compete in post-season college football games. Pres. Obama wants to mute changes in oil prices. And a majority of these savior-wannabes seek to remake health-care delivery, run automobile companies, protect us from financial risks, and, generally, to mandate, prohibit, and regulate us all into velvet-lined shackles.

I have a name for this repulsive social system: Capitolism.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux

Comments

{ 18 comments }

vikingvista July 14, 2009 at 6:10 am: Being in the minority must leave him with a lot of time on his hands.
vidyohs July 14, 2009 at 6:16 am: Vikingvista,

Obama? Orrin?
dg lesvic July 14, 2009 at 6:38 am: Capitolism!

A new epithet is born.

Excellent.
JohnK July 14, 2009 at 7:25 am: I'm calling the pun police.
vidyohs July 14, 2009 at 7:47 am: "and regulate us all into velvet-lined shackles."

I'd like to point out, Don. That this will be for those who accept. submit, and cooperate. My opinion, often expressed here, is that the shackles already exist, though they are light and offer some degree of comfort, they are strong enough to contain and yank when circumstances demand it.

The shackles for those who rebel, resist, and and are uncooperative will not be velvet-lined, nor will they any longer be light and comfortable.

There is only one alternative to doing it their way.

Our goals, our dreams, our desires, our knowledge, our beliefs, all became irrelevant upon total democrat (socialist) domination of two branches of government, leaving the third and powerless one to be gathered in with time.

Barring taking the only other alternative to surrender, I believe we need to get used to it because they have time and power now to ensure that all future elections maintain that domination, and the MSM will glorify them for it.

Yes, it can happen here.
Phil July 14, 2009 at 7:55 am: Don, I agree with your observation about invasiveness, but we already have names for what's going on..

Fascism
Totalitarianism
Autocracy

Interestingly, a little over 100 years ago, football was the subject of federal attentions-wasn't it one Teddy Roosevelt (also a repellent tyrant who love meddling) that involved himself in the elimination of the "flying wedge" formation due to its high fatality rate?

Now we just don't like the outcome of the game…

At least there, one could plausibly make the case it was a matter of public safety-so long as you overlooked the issue of deficient safety equipment.
David Rotor July 14, 2009 at 8:16 am: Don,

You've stumbled upon a decades old (who knows perhaps a centuries old) truism in American society.

I've long observed the unique relationship Americans have with socialism. On one hand they use the term as short-hand for "evil". And yet, many of the most successful American businesses have been socially supported for decades.

The obvious ones have been the auto industry (all those socially paid for roads), the aerospace industry, the defence industries, and my personal favorite, professional sports franchises.

I have remarked for decades that the United States prefers socialism for its businesses and capitalism for its social programs, a description that even well educated American friends had trouble understanding ("Building a new stadium for "Team X" with public funds isn't socialism, Dave. It's popular and was voted on.").

Now, thanks to you I have a name for one half of that equation. What do we call the capitalism approach to social programs?
Gil July 14, 2009 at 8:28 am: Have you given up now, vidyohs? Gone are the days of "I'll shoot every one of them" to "I'll get my vaseline jar and please be gentle"? Uh-oh, it looks as though the good old U.S.A. is now doomed as we knew it! Apparently talking about what the 2nd Amendment means doesn't matter if the people haven't got the gut to pull the trigger.
JohnK July 14, 2009 at 8:40 am: I found a pic of Gil on the net!
LowcountryJoe July 14, 2009 at 9:16 am: Capitolism: That's pretty funny. Another pun — written by a contributing reader, I believe — I like and use often; stimuloss.

Vidyohs: I think it's Orrin hatching some college football policy

JohnK: nice picture. This one works, too.
drtaxsacto July 14, 2009 at 9:43 am: Wonderful new term!
SaulOhio July 14, 2009 at 9:43 am: I just found muirgeo:
http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/ferouscranus.htm
Gil July 14, 2009 at 10:00 am: How the hell did someone get my picture! >:(
Gil July 14, 2009 at 11:14 am: The one JohnK found that is. :\
Bill July 14, 2009 at 12:22 pm: I think I'd rather have Hatch and his colleagues worrying about football than about something more important – like health care.
JohnK July 14, 2009 at 1:10 pm: Gil – you need to be careful of what you post on Facebook
indiana jim July 14, 2009 at 4:25 pm: A 2001 article titled "Capitalism or Capitolism":

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=22580
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