Washington Post on A16

Seth Ackerman SAckerman at FAIR.org
Wed Apr 19 18:24:41 PDT 2000


Brad De Long wrote:


> I'm a social democrat who believes that markets need to be managed
> and controlled by democratically-based political institutions. So I'm
> for a bigger, kinder, gentler IMF run by European social democrats.
>

But does Larry Summers feel the same way?

And which European social-democrat do you mean? Oskar Lafontaine? Or Gordon Brown? Because it seems like what Larry Summers wants is an IMF run by a European who talks like a social-democrat but walks like a neoliberal -- someone whose policies are identical to his but who can provide political cover from the left.

Let us never underestimate the significance of the fact that Laurence Summers and Oskar Lafontaine are two very different animals.

Seth

Seth



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