Book Review: How Capitalism Saved America
From Thomas DiLorenzo, author of The Real Lincoln, which calls Lincoln both a rascist and tyrant (really going against the grain on that one), comes How Capitalism Saved America: The Untold History of Our Country, from the Pilgrims to the Present. I was hoping for a survey of American economic history, but was disappointed in that respect. However, this book is not without its merits. Clocking in at 256 pages, it is a breif read on the importance of capitalism, and the attacks against it, from the era of the Pilgrims and Founding Fathers to the energy crisis.
I was never taught in school of the mercantilist nature of Hamiltonian Federalism, though I was aware of the war on the Bank. This book makes a great case for unrestricted trade and limited federal government, especially in the economy. While I am not sure we can ever go back to pre-Teddy Roosevelt levels of federal intervention, I feel it is worth it to attempt to real in governmental intervention in business, which inevitably hurts the consumer. This evident in the Microsoft "Anti-trust" case, which really had nothing to do with monopoly.
I would highly recommend this book, at least to get some exposure to the values of American capitalism, something not taught in the "touchy-feely" U.S. history taught in today's schools.
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