Wil Reilly – Middle Men and Economics

Dr Wilfred Reilly is a regular contributor to the Break It Down Show. Over the past few months, we've been examining the work of Thomas Sowell. In this episode, we continue that theme. Rather than dive into a specific book, we'll apply a common thread to a current event.

Thomas Sowell often uses the disdain for middlemen as a tool to illustrate how societies treat positive agents of change. As the Soviet Union Collapsed middlemen began to rise. They used their entrepreneurial spirit to cover gaps in the market. The former command economy's tools of stability having disappeared, the civil population was left to fend for itself. Rather than let people starve, it was the middlemen who stepped in, took the risks, and started filling gaps.

This lead to massive empires being built, businesses being acquired and wealth being accumulated. In many instances, a worldwide impact on energy, fertilizers. metals, and a large variety of other resources came under the control of these businessmen.

Pete A Turner an Wil Reilly examine the rise of middle men in cental and eastern europe during the past 30 years and consider their presence through this "middleman" lens rather than the usual lens of graft, theft and greed.