In my
Critique of Austrian Economics I write:
Quote:Another reason why Austrians seem na?ve is their relentless call for deregulation, which often ignores fundamental inequities.
Burczak (
Socialism after Hayek, p. 122) writes:
Theodore Burczak wrote:Private ownership of capital is not prohibited, but capital ownership conveys no possibility ? through right or contract ? of control rights over workers.
Those rights would be reserved and shared exclusively ? under the procedure of one person, one vote ? for the worker-members of the firm, regardless of the amount of capital any particular worker owned.
Steve Horwitz writes:
Steve Horwitz wrote:Burczak wants to supplement the markets with redistributive policies?he would stake all citizens to a rather large hunk of tax-funded wealth upon reaching adulthood?and would mandate worker ownership and management of firms. These changes will, he argues, promote broader access to the marketplace and enhance the chances that people will live ?choiceworthy? lives. Because Burczak's socialist vision gives great play to the market, and does so for the same reasons that Hayekians do, his critique must be taken seriously.
Horwitz applauds the fact that Burczak ?gives great play to the market,? yet he ignores the fundamental inequity of labor-managed firms seizing existing corporations from the capitalists and ruining the shareholders, under the procedure of one person, one vote.
This is an example of what I meant when I said, ?Another reason why Austrians seem na?ve is their relentless call for deregulation, which often ignores fundamental inequities.?
Horwitz is a well-known Austrian and Burczak is the winner of the 2007
Smith Center Annual Prize in Austrian Economics, so I take both men as canonical of the Austrian position.
Do you agree with Horwitz that the abrogation of property rights entailed in seizing firms from the shareholders and giving them to a democratically-elected labor leader can be ignored as long as the new owner does not ask for any regulation, but is willing to operate (with his stolen property) in an unregulated market?
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