Review by Kevin Brown
Though published a couple of years ago now, Quinn Slobodian’s exploration of economic zones that ignore — and even suppress — democratic freedoms is as relevant today as when it was published. In fact, she uses a quote from Stephen Moore, one of President Trump’s chief economic advisors during his first term in office, in which he says, “Capitalism is a lot more important than democracy. I’m not even a big believer in democracy.” That theme runs throughout Slobodian’s book, as he delves into eleven different areas (though the final one is actually virtual) where people have formed economic zones that put capitalism well above democracy.
Slobodian begins in Hong Kong, which serves as the template for many of the areas that follow, including Singapore, Liechtenstein, Somalia, Dubai, and Silicon Valley. In each case, a person or people connect with leaders of those areas to try to establish zones where the rules and laws of democracy cease to exist, especially workers’ rights. They typically develop quickly and become safe havens for billionaires to invest or hide their money or for companies to produce products without safety or workplace guidelines. While they have short-term success, they often don’t last.
Lest people think a book on economic zones is beyond the comprehension of the lay reader, let me assure them that Slobodian’s clear prose and explanations help anybody with a basic understanding of capitalism and democracy understand what a particular group of thinkers are trying to do. Once readers understand, most will be aghast at the ways in which capitalism often trumps democracy, even in countries that purport to value democratic values above all else. For that reason alone, this book is as much of today as any others being written.
Crack-Up Capitalism: Market Radicals and the Dream of a World Without Democracy by Quinn Slobodian. Metropolitan Books, April 2023.
Reviewer bio: Kevin Brown has published three books of poetry: Liturgical Calendar: Poems (Wipf and Stock); A Lexicon of Lost Words (winner of the Violet Reed Haas Prize for Poetry, Snake Nation Press); and Exit Lines (Plain View Press). He also has a memoir, Another Way: Finding Faith, Then Finding It Again, and a book of scholarship, They Love to Tell the Stories: Five Contemporary Novelists Take on the Gospels.
