December 2009 ·
Notebook
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Luke Mitchell is a senior editor of Harper’s Magazine.
The idea that there is a competitive “private sector” in America is appealing, but generally false. No one hates competition more than the managers of corporations. Competition does not enhance shareholder value, and smart managers know they must forsake whatever personal beliefs they may hold about the redemptive power of creative destruction for the more immediate balm of government intervention. This wisdom is expressed most precisely in an underutilized phrase from economics: regulatory capture.
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| SEE ALSO: Obama, Barack; Government policy; Health care reform; Lobbying; Medical care, Cost of; Medical economics; Medical policy; 2009-; Views on health care reform | ||||
| Previous · Next |
| December 2009 THE GENERAL ELECTRIC SUPERFRAUD
THE MASTER OF SPIN BOLDAK
MERMAID FEVER
UNDERSTANDING OBAMACARE
Also: Dave Hickey and Wendell Berry |