What Is Industrial Policy? A comment on some recent academic papers that tried to define, if not to defend, the unicorn

What Is Industrial Policy?
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Dumb or Self-Interested Political Rulers The problem is not dumb or egoistic political rulers, but the powers that have been granted to any ruler

"To understand #politics, we must presume that a head of state or other political ruler is, like the rest of us, primarily concerned with his own interests."
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If international trade is so bad and abusive, what's all the fuss about keeping the Strait of Hormuz open?

If international trade is so bad and abusive, what's all the fuss about keeping the Strait of Hormuz open?
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Two Constraints of War in a Free Society A free society should be defended against external thugs, but not by any means nor any kind of political authority

Is it rational to "grant the power of making collective decisions and trade-offs to some philosopher-king or to some non-philosopher populist king who 'feels it in his bones' (or consults birds’ entrails)"? #feelitinmybones #war #FreeSociety #middleeast
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Collectivist Speak Many people speak as if collectives were biological organisms who think and act like individuals

"Each European individual, company or other intermediary trades separately with a similar counterpart outside the EU territory. At least, such is the case in a free society." #trade #EU #collectivistspeak open.substack.com/pub/pierrele...

What About “Permitting” Free Enterprise? The term refers to the process of granting permits, which reflects the growing requirement of obtaining permissions from political authorities. “Laissez faire, for God’s sake!”

"The alternative is not between either blocking wind farms and 'permitting' petroleum pipelines; or permitting wind farms and blocking pipelines. At least not in a free society." #pipelines #windturbine #windfarm
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If This Is Capitalism, Give Me Socialism! A further drift toward socialism, which is left-wing collectivism, may follow discontent with right-wing collectivism

"The true alternative is not between an authoritarian left-wing collectivism and an authoritarian right-wing collectivism ... but between collectivism and individualism (individual liberty)."

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