Calling it "Crony Capitalism" merely serves to pull something into the mud. The same people who complain about it also reject Free Market Capitalism as they see no difference.
Some people also consider China as a "State Capitalism." That's not a thing either - it serves to make people comfortable with the thought of government running your lives and connect Capitalism with the idea of authoritarianism.
Even if you yourself don't think like this - Socialists of all types do this though. It's kind of a linguistic game. Propaganda. I also don't refer to leftists or Democrats as "Liberals," because they rejected every single thing that relates to liberty long ago. They are simply Marxists. And no, Marxists do not have to be well educated (=indoctrinated), it's sufficient if they are useful idiots.
Playing devil's advocate, but that's not true. A crony capitalistic society does not necessarily imply oligarchy nor plutocracy, nor vice versa. They are independent concepts regarding societal control and economic control. For example, libertarian systems tend toward crony capitalism even if those capitalists don't have any political control. An example would be a pure direct democracy.
The idea that societal and economic control are fundamentally different is a fallacy. The same parties that seek one also seek the other. For one the ideology at the base of both is usually the same, and the lines between societal and economic control are blurred. Where would you put the case "bake the gay cake, bigot"? Or being prohibited to sell items to people of certain identities? Being forced to hire based on racial ratios? Being forced into Covid measures? There is no clear distinction - the only distinction is a willpower to control people and a willpower to refuse control. Authoritarianism vs Libertarianism.
The core concept we are describing ("Crony Capitalism") is the collusion of state and corporation. We understand Fascism as the highest merger of both. But there is a level above that - pure nationalization of the economy and its so called "democratization" - Communism, or also understood as "Command Economy."
Fascists understood that corporations have to remain in private hand in order to stay functional. But so did everybody else too, even Communists outside of Communist regimes understood that Economic Fascism is the way to go. And MSM & Big Tech and their tremendous powers and resources proved to be a loyal allies to their cause.
The point is, Economic Fascism is synonymous with "Crony Capitalism." Yet Fascists openly oppose Capitalism (consumerism, wastefulness, lack of purpose), but embrace exerting control and cooperation of big corporations.
The assumption that Libertarian systems tend towards such collusions is a fallacy for these reasons:
One, Libertarian systems are rare. There are almost only Mixed Economies leaning slightly more towards Libertarianism than Authoritarianism. -> Difference in magnitude, not principle. The US has plenty of authoritarian excesses in the past and especially today, proving that it does not adhere to Libertarian principles in any meaningful way.
Two, the fact that modern leftists/Marxists pursue Economic Fascism is therefore expected. It's what China has long done as well, and it is praised by Socialists world-wide. And it's not a new concept in the world either, just "newly" (some decades) embraced by Marxists.
Three, Switzerland is one of the most Libertarian countries in the world, yet they did not devolve into "Crony Capitalism" even though they are a very prosperous country. If the tendency you proposed were true, they'd struggle with Economic Fascism way more than all other countries that do not adhere to Libertarian principles even the slightest.
That's called Oligarchy or Plutocracy.
Calling it "Crony Capitalism" merely serves to pull something into the mud. The same people who complain about it also reject Free Market Capitalism as they see no difference.
Some people also consider China as a "State Capitalism." That's not a thing either - it serves to make people comfortable with the thought of government running your lives and connect Capitalism with the idea of authoritarianism.
Even if you yourself don't think like this - Socialists of all types do this though. It's kind of a linguistic game. Propaganda. I also don't refer to leftists or Democrats as "Liberals," because they rejected every single thing that relates to liberty long ago. They are simply Marxists. And no, Marxists do not have to be well educated (=indoctrinated), it's sufficient if they are useful idiots.
Playing devil's advocate, but that's not true. A crony capitalistic society does not necessarily imply oligarchy nor plutocracy, nor vice versa. They are independent concepts regarding societal control and economic control. For example, libertarian systems tend toward crony capitalism even if those capitalists don't have any political control. An example would be a pure direct democracy.
The idea that societal and economic control are fundamentally different is a fallacy. The same parties that seek one also seek the other. For one the ideology at the base of both is usually the same, and the lines between societal and economic control are blurred. Where would you put the case "bake the gay cake, bigot"? Or being prohibited to sell items to people of certain identities? Being forced to hire based on racial ratios? Being forced into Covid measures? There is no clear distinction - the only distinction is a willpower to control people and a willpower to refuse control. Authoritarianism vs Libertarianism.
The core concept we are describing ("Crony Capitalism") is the collusion of state and corporation. We understand Fascism as the highest merger of both. But there is a level above that - pure nationalization of the economy and its so called "democratization" - Communism, or also understood as "Command Economy."
Fascists understood that corporations have to remain in private hand in order to stay functional. But so did everybody else too, even Communists outside of Communist regimes understood that Economic Fascism is the way to go. And MSM & Big Tech and their tremendous powers and resources proved to be a loyal allies to their cause.
The point is, Economic Fascism is synonymous with "Crony Capitalism." Yet Fascists openly oppose Capitalism (consumerism, wastefulness, lack of purpose), but embrace exerting control and cooperation of big corporations.
The assumption that Libertarian systems tend towards such collusions is a fallacy for these reasons:
Okay thanks, I understand what your saying, crony capatalism is what leftist socialist say. Plutocracy or Corporatocracy is more accurate
Yes. But not only leftists (Marxists), also Fascists/National Socialists. They share more in their believes than they'd like to admit.