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Capitalism and its Critics with John Cassidy

"If you look back over the history of capitalism, the only period which compares to where we are today in sort of political economy is the 1930s. That was the last time we saw a sustained assault on the capitalist system from both the left and the right. The left, of course, has always been criticizing capitalism. But now, even the right [is] arguing that capitalism has betrayed America."

In Capitalism and Its Critics: A Battle of Ideas in the Modern World, John Cassidy offers a multi-century history of global capitalism, told through the eyes of its dissenters.

Cassidy is a staff writer at The New Yorker and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. His new book blends biography, history, and economic analysis to reveal the roots of urgent debates the business world and society face today, as AI, climate change, and inequality are forcing us to reexamine the economic system.

In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, Cassidy discusses the main historical themes of capitalism critique, why the system continues to endure, how it is being, and what its future may be in the current context of assaults on the system from both the political left and right.

Key topics discussed: 

[01:44] The main themes of capitalism critique
[04:17] Why capitalism endures
[09:15] The paradox of state capitalism
[14:21] The misunderstood Luddites
[19:09] Trade tensions and global economic asymmetry
[24:45] The role of unpaid domestic labor in driving the capitalist system
[28:50] The most surprising insights in writing the book
[31:33] The future of capitalism

Additional inspirations from John Cassidy:

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