“Beyond rent-seeking, a corporation can engage in other behaviors long decried by classical liberals, behaviors that might be characterized as contra-capitalism.”

Cronyism … Rent-seeking … Regulatory capture … Special-interest politics … Strategic uses of government intervention … Many terms have described business lobbying within the up-for-grabs socioeconomic system of political capitalism where the political means replaces the economic means. [1] It results in what classical-liberal entrepreneur Charles Koch calls bad profit. [2]

But beyond rent-seeking, a corporation can engage in other behaviors long decried by classical liberals, behaviors that might be characterized as contra-capitalism. Importantly, the corporation might not recognize these behaviors as an explicit strategy (Enron did not; Tesla does not). These separable behaviors are complementary.  And now, with a term, what was implicit can become explicit for the public policy and corporate-governance debate.…

“Nationalization. Price controls. Shortages. Forced allocation. Currency inflation. More seizure. Punishment. Mass shortages. Hyperinflation…. All to stamp out private property and profit/loss exchange.”

The Progressive intellectual class does not quite know what to think about the carnage in Venezuela. They see the results and speak only of bad government–and even in this case lower oil prices for a government dependent on oil revenue.

The latest example comes from the New York Times (December 18, 2017). Yesterday, the so-called “newspaper of record” published a 12-page Special Report, “As Venezuela Collapses, Children Die of Hunger,” vividly detailing the total chaos and mass misery (outside of the government class) of a country that should be one of the most prosperous in the world.

This article’s pictures of malnutrition and death are followed by three titles:

‘Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.…

“The Icebreaker Windpower project can be seen as entirely moot: there will be no meaningful benefit to Ohio and its citizens. The chimera of jobs and a boosted economy will never become material; the obvious loss to bird and bat life scarcely needs a comment.”

The heat is on for supporters of the six-turbine LEEDCo Icebreaker Windpower project offshore of Cleveland.

A show of “yeas” at the November 8^th public meeting of the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) at Cleveland City Hall failed to make a dent in the logical and passionate opposition. A few dozen supporters at a public meeting is not material for a facility that is uneconomical and environmentally invasive–and unneeded except for a poster child of what was Obama energy policy.

It is surprising that the OPSB has not closed the file on the now called “Icebreaker Windpower.”…

The Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED) is an informal coalition of individuals and organizations interested in improving national, state, and local energy and environmental policies. Our premise is that technical matters like these should be addressed by using Real Science (please consult WiseEnergy.org for more information).

A key element of AWED’s efforts is public education. Towards that end, every three weeks we put together a newsletter to balance what is found in the mainstream media about energy and the environment. We appreciate MasterResource for their assistance in publishing this information.

Some of the more important articles in this issue are:

Study: Wind Projects lead to an Increase in Suicides

“Green Energy” Fails Every Test

Wind is an Irrelevance to the Energy and Climate Debate

Wind Power: A Fraud Promulgated by Fools based on a Fantasy

‘Completely perverse’ wind energy subsidies are not reducing emissions

The “Clean Power Plan’s” False Health Claims

Pruitt Is Right To Withdraw Obama’s ‘Clean Power Plan’

GOP US Tax Bill Overhauls Energy Taxes

4.5± Miles Deep Geothermal Project in the Netherlands

Invenergy VP slanders real estate wind expert

Jacobson sues authors of peer-reviewed critical energy paper

A Deceptive New Report on Climate

The Missing Science from the Draft National Assessment on Climate Change

EPA Stops “Sue & Settle” practice with environmental groups

Letter to Pruitt re Endangerment Finding (with Scientists’ signings)

EPA Announces New Advisory Boards

Superior teaching video about Climate Change

NASA satellite spots cause of unprecedented spike in atmospheric CO2

Australian Submission on Climate Change Policies

Excellent: Interview with István Markó (re Climate Change)

The UN Admits That The Paris Climate Deal Was A Fraud

Greed Energy Economics:

‘Completely perverse’ wind energy subsidies aren’t reducing emissions

GOP Tax Bill Overhauls Energy Taxes

Invenergy VP slanders real estate wind expert

The True Cost of Wind Electricity

‘Home grown’ claims of renewable energy industry questioned

Ratepayers paying too much for electricity

The Real Cost of Offshore Wind

Wind PTC: Excessive Benefit Demands Repeal

Local Residents Shouldn’t Subsidize Wind Turbines

Jacobson sues authors of peer-reviewed critical energy paper

Turbine Health Matters:

Study: Wind Projects lead to an Increase in Suicides

The “Clean Power Plan’s” False Health Claims

Important health decision revoking a wind permit

U.S.…