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A review by cavalary
Capitalul în secolul al XXI-lea by Thomas Piketty
3.0
[EN: (RO below)]
On a recommendation, this likely marks the start of a year or so of nonfiction, translated too, and it was far easier to read and less infuriating than I thought. Current Leftist views of economics are necessary, the first part explains well and the facts and figures and explanations, as well as some of the points made, remain positive aspects throughout. The attacks on economists, by an economist, were also rather refreshing, as was the statement that the current supposedly meritocratic justifications of inequality are worse than the past ones. And saying that refusing to deal with numbers, and I'll add also politics, rarely goes in favor of the poor is a good ending.
However, some parts are too technical, many of each chapter's, if not each part's, points could have been made in a handful of pages, much space which could have been better filled with some of the things strangely left in an on-line "annex" seeming wasted, and part four seems rather a train of thought, even a mind dump, just pushing one idea and going this way and that around it. But the main problem is that, while pointing out the inherent flaws of capitalism, it clearly states, and proves throughout, that it doesn't actually attack it, nor inequality in itself for that matter, instead aiming to just tweak systems that are inherently flawed and need replacing. It also focuses almost exclusively on the rich, barely mentioning the rest and the means of improving their situation. There are also indefensible stances, like repeatedly emphasizing the benefits of population growth, enough on its own for me to consider the author an opponent; continual, albeit weak, growth in general being seen as, well, possible; or repeatedly stating the positive effects of inflation, with too little attention paid to the devastating effects it can have on the savings and plans of regular people. Then again, what's clearly indefensible is that it starts by basically praising subjectivity even when it comes to such fundamental matters that define a society... And including conclusions in the introduction is not a good practice either.
[RO:]
La o recomandare, asta probabil marcheaza inceputul a aproximativ un an de nonfiction, si traduse, si a fost mult mai usor de citit si mai putin enervanta decat credeam. Viziunile economice de stanga din zilele noastre sunt necesare, prima parte explica bine si datele si cifrele si explicatiile, precum si unele dintre conceptele prezentate, raman aspecte pozitive pana la final. Si atacurile la adresa economistilor, din partea unui economist, au fost destul de binevenite, si la fel si declaratia ca justificarile asa-zis meritocratice din prezent ale inegalitatii sunt mai rele decat cele din trecut. Si a spune ca refuzul de a-ti bate capul cu cifre, si as adauga si cu politica, rareori e in interesul saracilor e o incheiere buna.
Insa, unele parti sunt prea tehnice, multe din ideile fiecarui capitol, daca nu fiecarei parti, ar fi putut fi exprimate in destul de putine pagini, mult spatiu care ar fi putut fi umplut mai bine cu unele dintre lucrurile in mod ciudat lasate intr-o "anexa" on-line parand irosit, iar partea a patra cam pare o insiruire de ganduri aruncate, doar sustinand fortat o idee si divagand in jurul ei. Dar principala problema este ca, desi prezinta defectele inerente ale capitalismului, spune clar, si dovedeste constant, ca nu il ataca, si de fapt nu ataca nici inegalitatea in sine, incercand doar sa aduca niste modificari unor sisteme care sunt inerent defecte si trebuie inlocuite. Si se concentreaza aproape exclusiv pe bogati, abia mentionandu-i pe ceilalti sau metodele de a le imbunatati situatia. Sunt si pozitii imposibil de aparat, ca sublinierea repetata a beneficiilor cresterii populatiei, suficient in sine ca sa-l consider pe autor un oponent; considerarea cresterii continue, chiar daca slabe, in general ca fiind, ei bine, posibila; sau prezentarea repetata a efectelor pozitive ale inflatiei, dand prea putina atentie efectelor devastatoare pe care le poate avea asupra economiilor si planurilor oamenilor de rand. De fapt, ce-i clar de neaparat e ca incepe practic laudand subiectivitatea chiar si in privinta unor astfel de teme fundamentale care definesc o societate... Si nici includerea concluziilor in introducere nu e o practica buna.
On a recommendation, this likely marks the start of a year or so of nonfiction, translated too, and it was far easier to read and less infuriating than I thought. Current Leftist views of economics are necessary, the first part explains well and the facts and figures and explanations, as well as some of the points made, remain positive aspects throughout. The attacks on economists, by an economist, were also rather refreshing, as was the statement that the current supposedly meritocratic justifications of inequality are worse than the past ones. And saying that refusing to deal with numbers, and I'll add also politics, rarely goes in favor of the poor is a good ending.
However, some parts are too technical, many of each chapter's, if not each part's, points could have been made in a handful of pages, much space which could have been better filled with some of the things strangely left in an on-line "annex" seeming wasted, and part four seems rather a train of thought, even a mind dump, just pushing one idea and going this way and that around it. But the main problem is that, while pointing out the inherent flaws of capitalism, it clearly states, and proves throughout, that it doesn't actually attack it, nor inequality in itself for that matter, instead aiming to just tweak systems that are inherently flawed and need replacing. It also focuses almost exclusively on the rich, barely mentioning the rest and the means of improving their situation. There are also indefensible stances, like repeatedly emphasizing the benefits of population growth, enough on its own for me to consider the author an opponent; continual, albeit weak, growth in general being seen as, well, possible; or repeatedly stating the positive effects of inflation, with too little attention paid to the devastating effects it can have on the savings and plans of regular people. Then again, what's clearly indefensible is that it starts by basically praising subjectivity even when it comes to such fundamental matters that define a society... And including conclusions in the introduction is not a good practice either.
[RO:]
La o recomandare, asta probabil marcheaza inceputul a aproximativ un an de nonfiction, si traduse, si a fost mult mai usor de citit si mai putin enervanta decat credeam. Viziunile economice de stanga din zilele noastre sunt necesare, prima parte explica bine si datele si cifrele si explicatiile, precum si unele dintre conceptele prezentate, raman aspecte pozitive pana la final. Si atacurile la adresa economistilor, din partea unui economist, au fost destul de binevenite, si la fel si declaratia ca justificarile asa-zis meritocratice din prezent ale inegalitatii sunt mai rele decat cele din trecut. Si a spune ca refuzul de a-ti bate capul cu cifre, si as adauga si cu politica, rareori e in interesul saracilor e o incheiere buna.
Insa, unele parti sunt prea tehnice, multe din ideile fiecarui capitol, daca nu fiecarei parti, ar fi putut fi exprimate in destul de putine pagini, mult spatiu care ar fi putut fi umplut mai bine cu unele dintre lucrurile in mod ciudat lasate intr-o "anexa" on-line parand irosit, iar partea a patra cam pare o insiruire de ganduri aruncate, doar sustinand fortat o idee si divagand in jurul ei. Dar principala problema este ca, desi prezinta defectele inerente ale capitalismului, spune clar, si dovedeste constant, ca nu il ataca, si de fapt nu ataca nici inegalitatea in sine, incercand doar sa aduca niste modificari unor sisteme care sunt inerent defecte si trebuie inlocuite. Si se concentreaza aproape exclusiv pe bogati, abia mentionandu-i pe ceilalti sau metodele de a le imbunatati situatia. Sunt si pozitii imposibil de aparat, ca sublinierea repetata a beneficiilor cresterii populatiei, suficient in sine ca sa-l consider pe autor un oponent; considerarea cresterii continue, chiar daca slabe, in general ca fiind, ei bine, posibila; sau prezentarea repetata a efectelor pozitive ale inflatiei, dand prea putina atentie efectelor devastatoare pe care le poate avea asupra economiilor si planurilor oamenilor de rand. De fapt, ce-i clar de neaparat e ca incepe practic laudand subiectivitatea chiar si in privinta unor astfel de teme fundamentale care definesc o societate... Si nici includerea concluziilor in introducere nu e o practica buna.