The economic history portion could have referenced "Slouching Toward Utopia" which provides a theoretical basis for WHY per capita growth was near zero for that last 11,000 years. And it might have nodded to the reason that the "beast" of modernity cannot be left unregulated by society. Again, STU's explanation, following Polanyi would have deepened the argument. Finally, it stops short of attempting to explain the attraction of illiberalism, not all from the Right, within liberal societies.
Thanks for the comment! I should note that I didn't reference STU, because while it's a good overview of modern economic history, by its author's own admission it doesn't give a good explanation for why the great divergence happened (https://braddelong.substack.com/p/another-excellent-and-thoughtful). Personally, I think McCloskey's "Bourgeois Dignity," Koyama and Rubin's "How the World Became Rich," and North Wallis and Weingast's "Violence and Social Orders" all do a better job approaching that subject. I discuss the issues in more detail on my own blog (https://www.patreon.com/posts/72927681?pr=true), but there wasn't really space in this essay to get into those weeds.
This screed's reference to 2023 Hungary is info-deprived lame at best.
For just one thing, the money Hungary receives from the EU is chickenfeed in comparison to the benefits derived by EU-based enterprises who love to set up shops in Hungary, because of cheap well-qualified workers and a safe environment so eminently disappearing in the West.
The EU needs, desperately needs, all of its members, even if they are not carbon-copies of each other.
lol. Yes Hungary, population 9 million, is really making up for its massive subsidies by supplying workers for the EU, population 447 million. You’ve really hit the nail on the head. Great command of the facts.
Um, the Soviet Union was basically the Hungary model with the Bolsheviks being the cronies.
FDR's three terms in office is still the best example of modern Liberalism available.
One more horror of right-wing collectivism
Amazing what ChatGPT can do without DOING anything.
Growth is popular as an ideal.
For a cancer.
The economic history portion could have referenced "Slouching Toward Utopia" which provides a theoretical basis for WHY per capita growth was near zero for that last 11,000 years. And it might have nodded to the reason that the "beast" of modernity cannot be left unregulated by society. Again, STU's explanation, following Polanyi would have deepened the argument. Finally, it stops short of attempting to explain the attraction of illiberalism, not all from the Right, within liberal societies.
Still, on its own terms, it's just about perfect.
Thanks for the comment! I should note that I didn't reference STU, because while it's a good overview of modern economic history, by its author's own admission it doesn't give a good explanation for why the great divergence happened (https://braddelong.substack.com/p/another-excellent-and-thoughtful). Personally, I think McCloskey's "Bourgeois Dignity," Koyama and Rubin's "How the World Became Rich," and North Wallis and Weingast's "Violence and Social Orders" all do a better job approaching that subject. I discuss the issues in more detail on my own blog (https://www.patreon.com/posts/72927681?pr=true), but there wasn't really space in this essay to get into those weeds.
This screed's reference to 2023 Hungary is info-deprived lame at best.
For just one thing, the money Hungary receives from the EU is chickenfeed in comparison to the benefits derived by EU-based enterprises who love to set up shops in Hungary, because of cheap well-qualified workers and a safe environment so eminently disappearing in the West.
The EU needs, desperately needs, all of its members, even if they are not carbon-copies of each other.
lol. Yes Hungary, population 9 million, is really making up for its massive subsidies by supplying workers for the EU, population 447 million. You’ve really hit the nail on the head. Great command of the facts.
The Hungarian experiment doesn't look appealing to me.
"Illiberal democracy " seems to be repellent to young people. The population drop is setting records.