"Plenty of stupid"

That was how Don Boudreaux described his email this morning. I wish I could say that I disagreed with his assessment:

8 August 2008

Editor, The New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036

To the Editor:

Paul Krugman is confused ("Know-Nothing Politics," August 8). While I agree that Bush's attack on Iraq was both stupid and immoral, many of the reasons that persons on the left (such as Mr. Krugman) offer against military intervention abroad apply equally to "liberals'" case for government intervention domestically.

Just as many on the right naively fantasize that foreign problems are best solved by force, "liberals" fantasize that domestic problems - real and imaginary - are best solved by force. Jobs disappearing in Ohio? No problem - force Americans to buy fewer foreign goods. Too many Americans without health insurance? Force taxpayers to give it to them. The "distribution" of income doesn't satisfy some Very Caring Person's criterion? Government should forcibly redistribute. A mine collapses in West Virginia? Uncle Sam should force mine-owners to increase safety. See. All very simple.

Unlike Mr. Krugman, I believe that both political parties are the party of the stupid - specifically Republicans are the party of the stupid and the hypocritical and the Democrats are the party of the stupid and the arrogant.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030