I am going to re-publish here, articles from 2004 onwards, which I first wrote as Columnist on Global Economy and Business for Axis of Logic.

I don't write for that Webzine anymore as it gradually moved away from its core premise of non-political partisanship and drifted at ever increasing pace to become a sort of Marxist-Socialist site.

Perhaps worse, as Axis sought contributors, their real knowledge and comprehension of the increasingly arcane and confusing World of economics and Capital Markets, came second to their willingness to bend the knee to discredited socio-economic theories and polemic.

For the record, I am wholly opposed to the present reality of so-called "Free Market" Capitalism: rather, I believe Free Enterprise is essential when it is correctly and fairly mixed with State Intervention.

As with all things in life it's about balance: or ought to be.

If we really want to change the World, then this can only be achieved by Series Step Change: not the sort of Quantum Leap revolutionary stroke propounded by dedicated Marxists.

Like wine and almost everything else, there's good capitalists and there's bad capitalists. Unfortunately, the past 30 odd years have allowed the Bad to overcome the benign and often swamp the altruistic intent and motivations of the Good.

It is quite clear to myself, that those who propose and encourage "Revolution" clearly, have no real concept of actual revolution: they've never studied and absorbed the clear lessons, for example, of such as the Spanish Civil War. Which was a revolution.

Such "Fomenters of Insurrection" seem to lack the clarity of thought and consequence: whilst excoriating the evils of Big Capital, they seem to conveniently ignore the identical malfeasances of Big Socialism; their constant mantra is "Socialism Good- Capitalism Bad!"

Sadly, life isn't like that: if only it were! If everything were to be Black or White with no shades of gray in the middle, wouldn't everything be simpler.

Thus I am a Centrist: I believe socio-economic systems can extract the very best that both Capitalism and Socialism have to offer and meld the two into one system offering far greater levels of equity: and additionally, the excesses of one can be offset by the moderating influences of the other.

The only clear alternative, otherwise, would be Libertarianism. Which, considered rationally, would simply replicate the Draconian excesses of the 17th century.

Why?

Simply because of the inescapable reality of human nature: the twin frailties of human nature being opposed in synergetic counterpoint.

Greed on the one part (And uncontrolled greed not moderated by statist intervention): and the human being's natural fecklessness on the other. Logically, unrestrained, unfettered greed would win.

Unfortunately the enabling power of the Internet has allowed many writers to verge on conspiracy theorist, as they constantly repeat ad naseum the kooky nonsense about The Illuminati, Bilderberg, The New World Order, the Rothschilds (And how they own the US Federal Reserve!) and the rest.

One is rather surprised more "Alternative News Sites" haven't asked David Icke to write for the site! You know, the nut who devoutly maintains that HRH Queen Elizabeth II, George Bush and others are actually descended from reptiles!

When endeavoring to engage in meaningful debate with dedicated hard core Marxist-Socialists, I've found one common trait: if I use a particular Socialist nation state and its attendant socio-economic disasters as an exemplar, the response is "Ah! But that is not a "Real" Socialist State!"

Well, the proponents of Socialism have many handy examples to chose from!

One that's often cited is Cuba: to which I respond, "Well, then why wasn't Silicon Valley - you know the place which developed the technology you are presently using to have this discussion in the first place! - based in downtown Havana?"

The conclusion was, I wanted to open up my writing to a wider (and less myopic) audience.

I welcome your thoughtful and polite comments.

MCF

June 28th 2011