[lbo-talk] neocon economists

Michael Pollak mpollak at panix.com
Sat Apr 19 21:51:57 PDT 2003


On Sat, 19 Apr 2003, Marta Russell wrote:


> So we've covered the neocon politicos and philosophers, who are the
> economists in tow?

I don't believe they've ever really had a distinctive economic position. The first generation of neocons in the 60s was mainly made up of social scientists, and one of their main obsessions was to shrink the welfare state. But their motivations were completely independent of fiscal policy. And today that's a position common to the entire right and half the liberals, so it doesn't really distinguish them.

In foreign policy, which they first started braying about in the 70s, neocons have been consistently withering in their disdain for those whom they felt were trying to limit their moral crusade against totalitarianism out of base economic considerations.

Afaict, Neocon economics consists of a refusal to be bound by its dictates. Although like all opportunists, they are happy to grab any passing economic fad idea that, if true, would support their policy.

Michael



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