I'd like to say that I appreciate the civil tone Guatam has maintained in the recent "Wall Street Meltdown" thread. I'm not sure he's right, I'm not sure if anyone is. One thing I'm pretty sure is true is that many of those people that in good times both in the government and the private sector were the loudest proponents of free market economics are not so enthusiastic lately.
This is an interesting and relevant article by the venerable George Will, conservative pundit and I believe, a favorite professor of Gautam's. [ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/22/AR2008092202583.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 ] Excerpt: The political left always aims to expand the permeation of economic life by politics. Today, the efficient means to that end *is* government control of capital. So, is not McCain's party now conducting the most leftist administration in American history? The New Deal never acted so precipitously on such a scale. Treasury Secretary Paulson, asked about conservative complaints that his rescue program amounts to socialism, said, essentially: This is not socialism, this is necessary. That non sequitur might be politically necessary, but remember that government control of capital is government control of capitalism. Does McCain have qualms about this, or only quarrels? On "60 Minutes<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/17/60minutes/main4456360.shtml>" Sunday evening, McCain, saying "this may sound a little unusual," said that he would like to replace Cox with Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic attorney general of New York who is the son of former governor Mario Cuomo. McCain explained that Cuomo has "respect" and "prestige" and could "lend some bipartisanship." Conservatives have been warned. Conservatives who insist that electing McCain is crucial usually start, and increasingly end, by saying he would make excellent judicial selections. But the more one sees of his impulsive, intensely personal reactions to people and events, the less confidence one has that he would select judges by calm reflection and clear principles, having neither patience nor aptitude for either. It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed? Doug _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
