Book Review: The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism

I went into the library with a specific book on economics in mind and, when it wasn't there, I decided to get this one instead. Several months later I can say with a heaving sigh of relief that I have finally finished this piece of trash. I didn't notice that it was a Main Selection of the Conservative Book Club when I checked it out. It is, thus far, the most infuriating book I have ever read (and I've read Ann Coulter).

The author's tone is extremely condescending and he proves all of his points with stupid examples that would almost never occur in real life. And he usually then goes on to completely contradict himself. For example, the male-female wage gap is "largely" a myth. Also, because of FMLA, women deserve smaller salaries because they are more likely to take time off which will cost the company money. I mean, where do you even begin with that kind of logic? Anyone with a brain sees why that's wrong, anyone who thinks its right is so far into Idiot-Land that there's really no point in arguing.

Dr. Murphy will have us believe that capitalism solves all of the world's problems but that pesky government thing just keeps getting in the way! He claims that slavery was a burden to slave-owners and that it cost more to have slave labor than to not. The government just made it too difficult to get rid of slaves. If not for government interference, he claims, capitalism would've ended slavery naturally.

Did you know that capitalism also solves the problem of racism? For instance, if there are two waitresses, a black experienced waitress and a less-experienced white waitress, the racist business owner will lose money with the less-experienced waitress, thus capitalism solved that one. Yes, this is actually the example given to prove that point. Also, affirmative action hurts minorities.

Contradictions loom around every corner. The "manufacturing slump" isn't really real... And its not caused by outsourcing. What? Also, out-sourcing is good. Why? Because the corporations that out-source save more money than is forfeited by its laid-off workers. This makes America riiiich, says my good friend Dr. Murphy. Well, no. This is why the top fifth is twelve times richer than the bottom fifth. Most economists don't care at all about the rich, whines Murphy; "as if rich Americans aren't a part of America".

This one may be the most mind-boggling-- seat belt laws cause more accidents because people drive more recklessly because they are wearing a seat belt and hit more pedestrians. I promise I am not making this up.

Okay, I've reached my limit. That's really more than you even needed to know. If you'd like a book to make you violently angry, I suggest picking up this one.

I shall leave you with a couple of steps in Dr. Murphy's 12 Step Plan for Understanding the Free Market:
10. Study other "spontaneous" social institutions, such as language and science, where no one is "in charge" and yet the outcome is quite orderly.
12. Go through the newspaper and discover how government meddling causes or exacerbates the conflict in virtually every story.

Yes. Do that. See what you find.

With heavy heart I shall return this book to the library instead of dropping it into the Ohio.

-1,000,000,000,000,000,000 outsourced stars from China/5