Arnold Kling Imagines

Michael Giberson

Arnold Kling writes, “After reading his book One Economics, Many Recipes, I keep imagining myself debating Dani Rodrik…and losing.”

Among other things, Kling suggests Rodrik offers “industrial policy with an Austrian slant” — he quotes Rodrik’s book as saying “the right way of thinking of industrial policy is as a discovery process–one where firms and the government learn about underlying costs and opportunities and engage in strategic coordination.” Hah! “Industrial policy as a discovery process.” Take that, Hayekians!

Kling observes, “We free-market types tend to complain that anti-market types take capitalist prosperity for granted and harp on its failures. Rodrik probably would say that we in turn take good government for granted and harp on its failures.”

There is much more in the post. Thoughtful. Recommended.

1 thought on “Arnold Kling Imagines”

  1. Rodrik probably would say that we in turn take good government for granted and harp on its failures.”

    No, I’d say that libs simply ignore the results of government, good or bad. Sure, there were mid 20th century libs that were part of a “good government” movement, whose aim was to rid the world of Democrat run machines. At the time, those machines were in the way of the liberal agenda: expansion of the welfare state.

    Since then, those very same Democrat machines have embraced the welfare state. As a result, there are no more “good government” liberals.

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