New Ted Cruz Ad Highlights Donald Trump As A Crony Capitalist

[ABX]

Contrary to what Trump would like to have us believe, he is not an entrepreneur in the traditional sense. He was born extremely wealthy. He has led a life of privilege. His business dealings have a universal theme: they involve huge banks lending Trump money after big government has cleared the way for him. Last weekend I pointed out Trump’s fetish for eminent domain. (I was not the first, my colleague, Jay Caruso made similar observations back in October.) Not for public works but because Donald Trump has a greater need for your property than you do.

As Caleb and Leon have pointed out, Trump is in hock right up to the eyebrows to the biggest of the government sheltered “too big to fail” banks and financial institutions. His endorsement of Big Corn’s obscene Renewable Fuel Standard — something that only benefits huge agribusiness and hurts anyone who owns a car or buys meat — and his endorsement by the King Crony Capitalist in Iowa, Governor Terry Branstad, all point to his big government + big business impulses.....

http://www.redstate.com/2016/01/22/new-ted-cruz-ad-highlights-donald-trump/

[massadvj]

Fair enough.

[libertybele]

In addition to being a crony capitalist he is a liberal!

[ABX]

In addition to being a crony capitalist he is a liberal!

...and yet, many of the top, most respected Conservatives are being attacked by the Right for saying this. What does it say when Thomas Sowell of all people, is being attacked from our side?

[Scottftlc]

In 21st century America, unless you are a very small "capitalist" or very small "entrepreneur" you are a crony capitalist.  Depending on the size of your business, you will play the crony part at the local (county and city, two for one), state or federal level. If you are particularly fortunate, you will play the crony at all three levels.

That is how business functions in these sad days of monstrously enormous-beyond-all-imagination government. Bill Clinton never told a bigger whopper than that one...it had only just begun.

[massadvj]

In 21st century America, unless you are a very small "capitalist" or very small "entrepreneur" you are a crony capitalist.  Depending on the size of your business, you will play the crony part at the local (county and city, two for one), state or federal level. If you are particularly fortunate, you will play the crony at all three levels.

That is how business functions in these sad days of monstrously enormous-beyond-all-imagination government. Bill Clinton never told a bigger whopper than that one...it had only just begun.

Very true.  It is hard to criticize the crony capitalist for doing what comes naturally (ie, acting in his self-interest). 

[libertybele]

Very true.  It is hard to criticize the crony capitalist for doing what comes naturally (ie, acting in his self-interest).

Exactly.  Trump will act in 'his' best interest IF elected, rather than in the best interest of America.

[ABX]

I wouldn't call buying politicians off to force eminent domain sales for you to pick up for casinos and golf courses 'how you do business' nor would I define using the strong arm of government to put competitors out of business or block them out of a market as acceptable practice. I certainly wouldn't call big rigging and creating false shell companies to dump off expenses on to and then make the taxpayers foot the bill as an acceptable Capitalist activity.  I wouldn't call rigging government subsidies to your enterprise then kicking back part of that subsidy to politicians who then keep the cycle going as 'free market'.

Now, am I talking about Trump or Harry Reid's family?

Its time we stopped accepting this as 'how the game is played'. Most of entrepreneurs and developers don't play these games.  This is the kind of activity that is used to attack Capitalism.