-----Original Message----- From: PEN-L list [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Frank, Ellen Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 11:10 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [PEN-L] Radical Economics
I write a Q&A column for Dollars and Sense Magazine and the Q for the up-coming issue is ths: what's the difference between a radical and liberal economist (or a progressive vs liberal)? Naturally I have my own thoughts on this, but I'd love to hear what pen-lers have to say. Ellen Frank Response: As my mother used to say, a liberal (economist or otherwise) "is someone whose heart bleeds--but with other people's blood." A typical Liberal believes in an aspirin for a brain tumor; a radical believes in necessary radical surgery and in substantive changes to find and prevent the causes of brain tumors. A liberal believes in skin cream over a syphilitic rash whereas a radical believes in massive doses of the more effective anti-biotics plus lifestyle changes plus finding out and treating all those the person with syphilis came into contact with. A liberal believes in seeking the optimum arrangement of deck chairs on the titanic whereas a radical believes in taking over the ship and/or not getting on board in the first place. A liberal believes in superficial "civility" with the uncivil, "reasoned discourse" with those incapable of reason, the Jew "debating" and "winning over" the nazi... Jim C
