[lbo-talk] Liberal Agenda a Tonic for Blue States

[John Thornton]

What a ridiculous crackpot idea. Maybe Lewis Mandell imagine himself as 
some sort of leftish-progressive John Galt but this is just nuttery. Is 
encouraging Connecticut to adopt the progressive measure listed a good 
idea? Sure, but not while simultaneously wanting to push reactionary 
policies on people in Texas or Oklahoma. That's what progressives want 
these days? I think not. All of the "socially liberal well educated 
technology workers and creative types" can creative a utopia in Connecticut 
and the hell with factory workers in St. Louis or Wal-Mart employees in 
Kansas. Mr. Mandell believes "We need to see Mississippi going all out in 
that direction."  Oh, but don't enact any really progressive tax reforms. 
That might scare away "the men of the mind" and the scientists and 
entrepreneurs from Galt's and Mandell's utopia.

John Thornton


>Liberal Agenda A Tonic For State, by Dan Hoar
>November 14, 2004
>
>Ten years ago an economist and associate dean at the UConn business school 
>floated a theory that seemed
>pure crackpot to many people at the time.
>
>Connecticut could benefit, Lewis Mandell reasoned, if the U.S. Supreme 
>Court reversed Roe vs. Wade.
>
>He was no right-wing fanatic. Far from it. The idea is that states would 
>be free to ban abortion if the high
>court overturned the landmark 1973 decision. Places such as Connecticut 
>would keep reproductive rights
>intact, while states such as Texas and Oklahoma would enact strict 
>prohibitions.
>
>Eventually, progressive-minded folks would settle - or choose to stay - in 
>Connecticut and other like-minded
>states. Since socially liberal people tend to be well educated, the ranks 
>of technology workers and creative
>types could swell here. And that, clearly, would be a boon for the state's 
>vibrancy and prosperity.
>
>Cut to the aftermath of Bush Victory II. Mandell, now a professor at the 
>State University of New York at
>Buffalo, has revived his old idea these last two weeks. He's shared it 
>with other people. So have I.
>
>It's not a crackpot theory anymore,