We had such a wonderful conversation with Rainer Zitelmann on The Breggin Hour — the kind that leaves you feeling hopeful about the future while reminding you how important it is to keep fighting for truth, freedom, and justice.

Rainer is a historian, a sociologist, and an author who has written more than thirty books, including two that really caught our attention: In Defense of Capitalism: Debunking the Myths and his latest, New Space Capitalism. He joined us from Berlin, and right away, you could feel his warmth, curiosity, and genuine excitement about big ideas.

Why Capitalism Still Matters

Rainer has been sounding the alarm about the dangers of socialism for years. When he warned about it eight years ago, some people rolled their eyes and said, “Who believes in socialism anymore?” Well… here we are. The financial heart of the US and one of the greatest American cities, New York City, has now elected its first Democratic Socialist Mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Rainer would have preferred to be wrong, but events keep proving his point.

He loves good discussion — even when people push back hard. As he put it, the stages are: first, they ignore you, then they attack you, and eventually, they say they knew it all along.

The Space Revolution Happening Right Now

One of the most exciting parts of the interview was hearing Rainer talk about the new space age. He told the story of Elon Musk’s early dreams of making humanity multi-planetary — a vision that started with a crazy idea and a trip to Russia to buy rockets (where they apparently weren’t too impressed at first or maybe thought he was a US agent trying to steal their space technology!).

Fast-forward, and SpaceX is now launching more rockets than entire countries. Rainer pointed out that last year, SpaceX alone did more launches than all other nations combined in many categories. The reusability of those rockets — something governments struggled with for decades — has dramatically cut costs.

He explained the difference in incentives: under the old government model, higher costs often meant higher profits for contractors. With private companies like SpaceX, lowering costs means bigger success. That simple shift changes everything.

The Power of Private Property — Even in Space

Rainer made a strong case that private property rights will be essential if we really want to open up the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty says nations can’t claim sovereignty over celestial bodies, but Rainer believes treating space like a giant “commons” won’t work any better than it has on Earth.

He imagines settlers claiming manageable areas (think the size of Singapore on Mars), turning them into investment and shared-ownership opportunities. His vision is optimistic — not just for billionaires, but for regular people who could one day own a piece of humanity’s future in space.

Unbreakable Spirit

We also talked about Rainer’s book Unbreakable Spirit, about people who overcame enormous challenges — born blind, paralyzed, or facing other severe obstacles — yet lived lives of remarkable achievement. He shared the story of Ray Charles, who took full responsibility for both his successes and his struggles. That kind of spirit moved us deeply, especially given Peter’s own recovery journey after his stroke.

Rainer’s admiration for people who refuse to see themselves as victims really comes through. It’s the same attitude he sees in the great entrepreneurs pushing humanity forward.

A Warm Message of Hope

Listening to Rainer feels like talking with a friend who still believes in big dreams and human potential. He loves the American spirit of bold goals and personal responsibility. As he quoted Robert Zubrin: “Freedom will give us space. Space will give us freedom.”

Whether it’s defending capitalism here on Earth or imagining humanity’s next steps among the stars, Rainer reminds us that real progress comes from freedom, courage, and the willingness to take responsibility for our own lives.

We thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and highly recommend checking out Rainer’s books — especially In Defense of Capitalism, Unbreakable Spirit, and New Space Capitalism. They’re full of that rare quality, hope, as well as clear thinking and fresh perspective at a time when we need both.

Meet the Guest

Rainer Zitelmann is a historian, sociologist, entrepreneur, investor, and internationally bestselling author. He holds doctorates in history and sociology and has authored or edited 31 books translated into 35 languages.

His books include New Space Capitalism: The Entrepreneurial Path to the Stars, In Defense of Capitalism, The Power of Capitalism, and How Nations Escape Poverty. His work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Newsweek, Fox News, The Daily Telegraph, Le Monde, and numerous international publications.

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