Against the Dead Hand

A refreshing, insightful look into the political and economicdynamics driving globalization todayGlobalization: it's earlier than you think. That's the provocativemessage of Against the Dead Hand, which traces the rise and fall ofthe century-long dream of central planning and top-down control andits impact on globalization-revealing the extent to which the "deadhand" of the old collectivist dream still shapes the contours oftoday's world economy. Mixing historical narrative,thought-provoking arguments, and on-the-scene reporting andinterviews, Brink Lindsey shows how the economy has grown up amidstthe wreckage of the old regime-detailing how that wreckageconstrains the present and obscures the future. He conveys aclearer picture of globalization's current state than the currentconventional wisdom, providing a framework for anticipating thefuture direction of the world economy.

1. The Weight of the Past ix2. The Industrial Counterrevolution 13. Centralization versus Uncertainty 164. From World Economy to World War 385. Twilight of the Idols 616. The Dead Hand 867. Hollow Capitalism 1198. The Rule of Lawlessness 1379. Unpeaceful Coexistence 16210. Recasting the Safety Net 18911. Liberalization by Fits and Starts 215Epilogue 271Notes 275References 303Index 321