By: Rainer Zitelmann

Dr Rainer Zitelmann is a German historian, sociologist and author. His latest book is "The Origins of Poverty and Wealth" https://origins-poverty-wealth.com/

All 65 Articles

Ukraine is turning West in its economic thinking

Opinion

Ukraine and Russia once shared a Soviet system but are now moving in opposite directions. One is becoming more aligned with the economic values of Western democracies; the other remains rooted in a tradition of state control, says Rainer Zitelmann A quiet but consequential shift is underway in Eastern Europe. While geopolitical attention has focused [...]
Free speech is under threat in Germany

Opinion

Historian and City AM columnist Rainer Zitelmann finds himself in the crossfire of Germany’s free-speech debate I will turn 69 in June, and it is the first time in my life that I have come into conflict with the law. At the beginning of February I received a letter from the Berlin police: “Written statement [...]
Trump’s tariffs are unconstitutional and his figures are pure fantasy

Opinion

Donald Trump claims to have secured $18 trillion in ‘investment’ thanks to tariffs, but much of this is just purchasing, R&D or hiring, says Rainer Zitelmann Tariffs are the central pillar of Donald Trump’s economic policy. Yet it was precisely in this area that he violated the US Constitution. This was not determined by leftwing [...]

If Russia wins, one year on

February 3, 2026

A year on from the publication of Carlo Masala’s If Russia Wins, it’s warning about the West’s complacency are more important than ever, says Rainer Zitelmann One year ago, Carlo Masala, the renowned German professor of security and defence policy, completed his book “Wenn Russland gewinnt” (“If Russia Wins”). Unfortunately, the book, which is meant [...]
Oxfam is peddling myths about wealth ahead of Davos

January 20, 2026

Every year Oxfam tries to establish a link between the rising wealth of the rich and increasing poverty ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos. But no such link exists, says Rainer Zitelmann There are more and more billionaires in the world, and their wealth keeps growing. This emerges from a report that Oxfam, [...]
Trump’s protectionism is a threat to freedom

January 9, 2026

Donald Trumps approach to Vietnam reveals the conflict of interest between his trade policy and his private business interests, says Rainer Zitelmann Donald Trump has said it time and time again: “To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is tariff. It’s my favorite word.” Over the years, Trump has expressed opposing opinions on [...]
Are the rich getting richer because the poor are getting poorer?

December 9, 2025

Adherents of the zero-sum belief that the rich are only rich because they have taken something from the poor cannot explain why the number of poor people fell massively while the number of rich people rose massively, says Rainer Zitelmann “The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer” – few statements have [...]
Zohran Mamdani’s victory must be a wake-up call to freedom’s defenders

November 5, 2025

The election of Zohran Mamdani signal the start of the anti-capitalist backlash. It must not be allowed to succeed, says Rainer Zitelmann The election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City sends a powerful message worldwide. In the very heart of global capitalism, a socialist has won. Frank Sinatra once sang in his [...]
On this day: Margaret Thatcher’s 100th birthday

October 13, 2025

Britain owes everything to the woman who saved it from socialism, says Rainer Zitelmann Margaret Thatcher would have been 100 years old today. She served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for nearly 12 years, making her the longest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century. No other political leader has ever implemented tax cuts, [...]
The space economy will not succeed without private ownership

September 26, 2025

A space economy based on legal conditions that ban private property – like those of North Korea – will never flourish, says Rainer Zitelmann After the Moon Landing of 1969, manned space travel stagnated for over half a century. The space shuttle was far too expensive and never lived up to expectations. It was only [...]

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Cognac: The storied history of France’s luxury spirit

By: Rainer Zitelmann

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