Peter Marshall, Hedge fund manager and ‘philanthropist’, claims that “capitalism can save the planet” at the Oxford Union on November 6th 2008 – just after the collapse of Northern Rock, the Royal bank of Scotland, the US stock Exchange, Freddie May and Fannie Mac, and the housing market. Nothing if not sublimely confident that none of this will change his ‘beautiful life’
He quotes Harpal’s book, without much comprehension. But happily, Harpal was on hand to explain it to him… see the links in the video to Harpal’s debate contribution, and to his recent summary of his work “Trotskyism or Leninism?”
Marshall asserts, in the vein of “trickle down” – and seemingly unaware that 1/2 the world (3.5 billion) languishes in absolute penury on 1-2 dollars a day – “Capitalists create the wealth – and all its detractors are beneficiaries of the wealth we produce; they are like dogs biting the hand that feeds them!”
Capitalism, he goes on to assert, with no apparent hint of irony, will save the planet! “Capitalism has cured HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and will solve Global Warming”(!)
The details are hazy, but the claims are certainly bold!