The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism

{{Short description|2007 book by Robert P. Murphy}}

{{Infobox book

| name = The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism

| image = File:The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism.jpg

| caption = Cover of the first edition

| alt =

| author = Robert P. Murphy

| illustrator =

| cover_artist =

| country = United States

| language = English

| series = The Politically Incorrect Guide

| subjects = Economics, capitalism in the United States

| published = 2007

| media_type = Print

| pages = 206

| awards =

| isbn = 978-1-59698-504-9

| oclc = 79860752

| dewey = 330.12/2

| congress = HB501 .M88 2007

| preceded_by = The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism

| followed_by = The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution

| wikisource =

}}

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism is a 2007 book by Austrian school economist Robert P. Murphy.{{Citation |last=Murphy |first=Robert P. |title=The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism |publisher=Regnery Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-59698-504-9 |oclc=79860752 |lccn=2007001846 }} It is the ninth book in the Regnery Publishing The Politically Incorrect Guides (P.I.G.) series.Note: Regnery Publishing is a division of Eagle Publishing.

Written as a result of a poll by P.I.G. readers[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=16685 The Politically Incorrect Votes Are In] that stated a book on economics, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism aims to refute what it sees as common misconceptions resulting from Keynesian economics about what capitalism actually is.

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism argues against criticisms of capitalism, amongst which are:

• it causes ecological destruction
• it causes vast income inequality, as well as racism
• it causes an unpredictable boom and bust cycle

Instead, Murphy argues that they result from government efforts to regulate the free market that have the effect of distorting laissez-faire supply and demand that would encourage the most rational allocation of resources possible, as well as their conservation for future generations. For example, with endangered species such as rhinos it is argued that if they were freely traded those who used their parts would have a stake in maintaining supply and conservation would improve (page 49). It is likewise argued that antitrust laws are unnecessary and that the "robber barons" actually benefited the US' poor much more than any government aid has ever done.