[.ca] The Corruption of Economics (ISBN 0856832448)

Exposes the anti-Georgist origins of neo-classical economics:
In the late 19th century, economist and social philosopher Henry George achieved international fame by calling for the abolition of all taxation save that upon land values -- a tax reform that would reconcile the conflict between economic liberty and social justice. So persuasive were George's arguments that landed elites, desperate to protect their vested interests in unearned wealth, set out to undermine George's immense popularity. In "The Corruption of Economics," the precise manner in which Henry George was neutralized is uncovered by professor Mason Gaffney. That manner -- which later became known as neo-classical economics -- was to corrupt economic science. How? By blurring the traditional distinction between capital and land (and hence between earned and unearned income), by glossing this blurred distinction with jargon and abstract models, and by recasting economics generally to make free-riding by landowners seem just and moral. Unable or unwilling to address Gaffney's arguments head-on, some economists are fond of dismissing this book out of hand as nothing more than a "conspiracy theory." In reality, it's a scholarly analysis of the anti-Georgist origins of the neo-classical school of economics, and how this school made an artform out of justifying landed privilege. Every single one of its claims in that regard are supported by credible references. "The Corruption of Economics" is a must-read for anyone who suspects there is something inherently flawed with "mainstream" economic theory -- particularly when it comes to reconciling the seeming conflict between economic liberty and social justice -- but is unsure as to what that flaw is.