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'89 - Tomáš Sedláček: The Fast Lane to Capitalism

(This article expired 17.11.2016.)

Mr. Tomáš Sedláček, Czech economist, philosopher and university lecturer, introduced to the Dutch and international audience in debalie, Amsterdam his original and witty ideas on the Czech (and Visegrad countries) transformation, recent economic development, global financial and economic crises and possible options for our future. The selection of Tomáš Sedláček as a speaker about the Czech “Velvet revolution” is more than appropriate as he is one of the cooperators and bearers of ideas of former President Václav Havel.

Tomáš Sedláček is the Chief Macroeconomic Strategist at ČSOB, a former member of the National Economic Council of the Czech Republic and an economic advisor to former President Václav Havel. In 2006, the Yale Economic Review mentioned him in an article titled "Young Guns: 5 Hot Minds in Economics". His book Economics of Good and Evil became an unexpected national bestseller and was translated into 15 languages. The book was awarded by the “Deutscher Wirtschaftsbuchpreis”, the International Book Fair in Frankfurt and also by the National Bank of Poland. The leading German business daily Handelsblatt ranked "Economics of Good and Evil" among the 100 most important books of all time.

(based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomáš_Sedláček_(economist))

During his lecture, the discussion with Joris Luyendijk and following Q&A session he mentioned the following ideas (selection):

  • '89 events were the most important ones for my generation

  • Czech pubs were “centers of freedom speeches”

  • Forum 2000 (http://www.forum2000.cz/) – 2014 - Democracy and Its Discontents, A Quarter-Century After the Iron Curtain and Tiananmen

  • Two Big Crises of Today – Economics and Ukraine

  • Market Democracy vs. Growth Capitalism

  • Subject / Object Reversal

  • Difference between owing and owning (critics of "growth via debt")

  • From both important processes, the transition and the EU integration, only one dimension is highlighted – the economical; the others – political, societal, cultural and ideological are left behind

  • Mutual support of problem states in the framework of EU is the essential one

  • Even the philosopher Slavoj Žižek does not offer any alternative to the capitalism

  • Our systems (pensions, banking and others) are not prepared for the “Japanese scenario” – a rich society without growth (for decades). It is the end of “growth capitalism” but it should be a “Hallelujah Moment”!

  • Our smartphone is our “fellowman”

  • New currency should be “smile”

  • Efficient systems are (usually) fragile

 

More information - http://www.tomassedlacek.cz/en/home

Tomáš Sedláček

Tomáš Sedláček

Tomáš Sedláček debates

Tomáš Sedláček debates

Tomáš Sedláček gives a lecture

Tomáš Sedláček gives a lecture

Original programme:

http://www.debalie.nl/agenda/programma/'89-+-tomáš-sedláček%3A-the-fast-lane-to-capitalism/e_9756960/p_11676037/

“The fall of the Iron Curtain symbolized the end of the Cold War, of Communism in Europe and of the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union, but it also paved the way for the “greatest social project of the last century”: the introduction of the free market in former Communist states. We will discuss the impact of these changes with Tomáš Sedláček, first Chief Macroeconomic Strategist of the largest Czech bank, former member of the National Economic Council of the Czech Republic and former advisor to Václav Havel. How do we reflect on these tumultuous times and what lessons can we draw from the current economic crisis? Has capitalism failed?

The dismantling of the centrally planned economy and the introduction of a free market system, led to radical programs of economic reform known as “shock therapy”. This resulted in a swift and far-reaching liberalization of prices and trade, a sharp reduction in government spending as well as in the privatization of most companies. What has been the effect of these rapid changes on the development of countries like Poland and the Czech Republic?

About the speaker:

Tomáš Sedláček was economic advisor of Václav Havel. Yale Economic Review called him one of the ‘five hot minds in economics’. Currently, he is employed as the first Chief Macroeconomic Strategist at the largest Czech bank. He furthermore is a former member of the National Economic Council of the Czech Republic. In his book The Economy of Good and Evil he shows that economy is not a mathematical science, free of value, but rather is a product of society.

Joris Luyendijk will moderate this programme.”