Re: RE: RE: RE: Re: Re: RE: Re: We are what's left

[Michael Perelman <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I would say, Max, that while Smith may not approve of the populists, the
populists saw themselves as in line with a Smithian interpretation of the
world.

On Tue, Apr 02, 2002 at 02:30:26PM -0500, Max Sawicky wrote:
> I appreciate the elaboration on Smith's moral philosophy,
> but the context of this discussion was whether Nader
> and populists were more like Smith than not.
> My clipped summary of Smith emphasized the
> contrast.  No embroidery of Smith's moral thought
> can find any contact with the basic thrust of political
> populism, either 19th century style or Naderite.  Restoring
> or creating fair market competition is not the most pressing
> theme in Nader's repertory, though it is not absent either.
> We should be at least as interested in accurately gauging
> current political trends as we are in rehabilitating dead
> economists.
>
> mbs
>
>
> > Unfortunatetly, quoting of the "butcher and baker" passage out of
> > context is exactly what the 1980s Adam Smith tie-wearing Reaganite
> > Gordon "Greed is Good" Gekko types did to promote the idea of Smith as
> > an unabashed promoter of self-interest.  . . .
>

--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx