Mission Economy A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism

'Mission Economy' by Prof. Mariana Mazzucato. In September 1962 president John F. Kennedy gave his famous speech in which he declared that the US in the next decade would land a man on the moon and bring him back safely. Seven years later, on 20 July 1969, the American astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on lunar soil. In 1962 Kennedy had an urgent agenda. The cold war was at its height with the Cuban Crisis just over and the Building of the Berlin Wall just started. Still JFK's speech was an important example of great leadership. Mariana Mazzucato defends in her new book again, the leading role, government plays in the market. She shows with practical examples, that out-sourcing public services, not only often make those services much more expensive, but that the resulting service by private organizations is no garanty for a better quality of the service. And last but not least by out-sourcing public services, governmental organizations are loosing much needed human capital and with that their inherent competence as important player in the market. With a just as urgent agenda today (Climate Change, Global Poverty, Pandemic, Gender and Race Problems), Professor Mazzucato proposes to choose a new 'Moonshot'. She explains in the book, the enormous problems, which had to be solved fifty years ago and the important role NASA played during the proces. There are lessons to be learned from the Apollo Program and the author leads the reader past all the relevant cornerstones. When a competent Economy professor warns society, that we are on the way of choosing the wrong capitalism, we should listen. The book therefore is a must read for every self-respecting politician and for every conscious voter. A great read.