Skip to content

Capitalism Quotes by Ha-Joon Chang

13 Capitalism quotes by Ha-Joon Chang

All Capitalism quotes Ha-Joon Chang’s page

If you’ve ever wondered how a leading economist frames the market’s quirks, this handful of Ha‑Joon Chang’s thoughts on capitalism is a solid entry point. Though brief, each line cuts to the core of his critique and praise, giving you a taste of his analytical style without overwhelming you with volume.

Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

There is no such thing as a free market.

Image

I'm not an anti-capitalist, or anarchist. I want capitalism to work.

Image

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, capitalism is the worst economic system except for all the other forms.

Image

Overcoming the myth that there is such a thing as an objectively defined 'free market' is the first step towards understanding capitalism.

Image

There are different ways to organise capitalism. Free-market capitalism is only one of them-and not a very good one at that.

Image

“Gore Vidal, the American writer, once famously described the American economic system as ‘free enterprise for the poor and socialism for the…

Image

To put it bluntly, there isn't one economic theory that can single-handedly explain Singapore's success; its economy combines extreme features of capitalism…

Image

It is impossible to objectively define how free a market is. This is a political definition. Government is always involved, and those…

Image

Every market has some rules and boundaries that restrict freedom of choice. A market looks free only because we so unconditionally accept…

Image

The history of capitalism has been so totally re-written that many people in the rich world do not perceive the historical double…

Image

The free market doesn't exist. Every market has some rules and boundaries that restrict freedom of choice. A market looks free only…

Image

“If the world were full of the self-seeking individuals found in economics textbooks, it would grind to a halt because we would…

Image

“So, when free-market economists say that a certain regulation should not be introduced because it would restrict the ‘freedom’ of a certain…

Image

Other authors on Capitalism

More by Ha-Joon Chang

“In no country does the average income give the right picture of how people live but in a country with higher inequality it is…

Image

Sometimes people with strong ideology, whether left-wing or right-wing, refuse to do something simply because they believe it is wrong, when doing it actually…

Image

Every market has some rules and boundaries that restrict freedom of choice. A market looks free only because we so unconditionally accept its underlying…

Image

Indeed, willingness to challenge professional economists and other experts is a foundation stone of democracy. If all we have to do is to listen…

Image

If we are really serious about preventing another crisis like the 2008 meltdown we should simply ban complex financial instruments, unless they can be…

Image

“Harry S. Truman, in his typical no-nonsense style, once said that ‘An expert is someone who doesn’t want to learn anything new, because then…

Image

Rational thinking is an important aspect of human nature, but we have imagination, we have ambition, we have irrational fear, we are swayed by…

Image

The history of capitalism has been so totally re-written that many people in the rich world do not perceive the historical double standards involved…

Image

Equality of opportunity is meaningless for those who do not have the capabilities to take advantage of it.

Image

The higher education system in these countries (US, Korea etc) has become like a theatre in which some people decided to stand to get…

Image

What free-market economists are not telling us is that the politics they want to get rid of are none other than those of democracy…

Image

“Joseph Schumpeter emphasized that all analysis in economics is preceded by a pre-analytical cognitive act, called vision, in which the analyst ‘visualise[s] a distinct…

Image

“All technical professionals have an incentive to make themselves look more complicated than they are so that they can justify the high fees their…

Image

I'm not an anti-capitalist, or anarchist. I want capitalism to work.

Image

“all technical professions have an incentive to make themselves look more complicated than they really are so that they can justify the high fees…

Image