| Abstrakt: |
The book "Rentier Capitalism: Who Owns the Economy, and Who Pays for It?" by Brett Christophers explores the persistence of high levels of wealth inequality and the success of rentiers in the developed world, despite an abundance of capital and low interest rates. Christophers argues that rentier capitalism is about power and privilege, and economic barriers to entry play a significant role. The book examines various categories of rentierism, including financial rents, natural-resource rents, intellectual property rents, platform rents, contract rents, infrastructure rents, and land rents. It critiques the privatization policies in the United Kingdom and the role of political institutions in enabling rentier capitalism. While the book focuses on the UK, it offers a blueprint for future studies on rentier capitalism in other contexts. The book concludes with reform suggestions to address rentier capitalism, although these proposals are seen as uninspired and lacking in depth. Overall, the book provides a valuable analysis of rentier capitalism and its impact on social prosperity, health, and mobility. [Extracted from the article] |
