Apparently not a single free market advocate, professor, businessman, official or economist has been invited to speak at a conference against about capitalism that is being hosted by a few branches of the Korean government and the Korea Development Institute. “Global Korea 2012: Shared Growth: Toward a New Model of Capitalism after the Crisis.”
The title “Shared Growth” refers to the Korean government’s plan to force private companies to share their profits. There is nothing new about government wanting to control the economy or forcing business to do its bidding.
I don’t know if any of the Korean speakers have spoken out against the plan, but based on the lineup, probably not.
If the government were holding a roundtable discussion, policy forum or presentation, I would not expect balance. But a major international conference being funded with taxpayer money should not be propaganda.
Anyway, I will be attending. If you would like to attend then hurry up and register.
You can check out the 3 different sessions of invited speakers here.
A brief preview:
Academics who will argue in favor of more government control of the economy and/or for more universal welfare/redistribution policies
Jacob Hacker, author of Winner-Take-All Politics and a member of the New America Foundation
Robert H. Frank, author of Winner-Take-All Society
Jae Hung Ahn, Ajou University, author of Social Investment—a Necessary Condition for a Virtuous Circle Connected with Growth and Welfare
Gil-Sung Park, Korea University, author of Fair Society
Joseph Wong, focusing on poverty and health in the developing world
Stephan Liebfried, a leading expert on Welfare State Policies.
John Ralston Saul, for about two decades he has been warning about the “self-destructive flaws of globalism.” He is the author of The Collapse of Globalism and Reinvention of the World.
It appears that most of the academics are quite skilled at bashing capitalism and arguing in favor of government control of the economy.
Not enough info to determine
Hyun-Chin Lim, Seoul National University professor
Christopher Pissarides, Nobel Prize winner
Government officials
Un-Chan Chung, former Prime Minister, South Korea–he is in charge of the South Korean government’s ridiculous “Shared Growth” Commission.
Wu Yi, former vice premier, People’s Republic of China
Willem Wim Kok, former prime minister, The Netherlands
Yonah Martin, Senate of Canada
Chul Ki Ju, UN Global Compact Korea Network, Former Korean Ambassador to France
Business leaders
Masayoshi Son, chairman & CEO, Softbank Corp.
NGO
Nicolas Hazard, CEO, investment and consulting company for social entrepreneurs
Stuart Yasgur, Ashoka, global organization that invests in leading social entrepreneurs
My first wish would be for the government to use taxpayer dollars to host a more balanced panel about capitalism.
My second wish, after the first wish doesn’t come true, would be for all of the speakers at the event and other expert planners to be confined to their meeting place for a decade. After they got out, they would see that the economy did quite well without them and that their many brilliant plans were not needed.
CJL
Most unfortunately, I’m reading this too late to go. I hope you’ll post a write-up about the event though!
Bryan–I would suggest if you are available that day to go ahead and try to register. Plenty of organizations have loose deadlines for events, some are definitely flexible if you miss the registration deadline by just a day or two.