[econoclectic] EclectEcon: Playwright David Mamet: *a former brain-dead liberal*

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Posted by EclectEcon:
Playwright David Mamet: *a former brain-dead liberal*
http://econoclectic.powerblogs.com/posts/1206025873.shtml


   Back in the days when I thought I might be able to do some [1]acting
   (how disillusioned we all can be sometimes), I read some plays by
   David Mamet. I didn't much like them, even though he was revered by
   many as a great playwright. But, WOW, look at what he has written
   recently about [2]his transformation (h/t to Salim Mansur, but
   [3]others have already blogged about this, too):

     What about the role of government? Well, in the abstract, coming
     from my time and background, I thought it was a rather good thing,
     but tallying up the ledger in those things which affect me and in
     those things I observe, I am hard-pressed to see an instance where
     the intervention of the government led to much beyond sorrow.
     ... I began reading not only the economics of Thomas Sowell (our
     greatest contemporary philosopher) but Milton Friedman, Paul
     Johnson, and Shelby Steele, and a host of conservative writers, and
     found that I agreed with them: a free-market understanding of the
     world meshes more perfectly with my experience than that idealistic
     vision I called liberalism.

   When utopian schemes fail, we are left to choose from among the
   feasible alternatives. Within that choice set, once we rid ourselves
   of our pollyanna-isms, less gubmnt intervention looks pretty good.
   I see Mamet mispelled "gubmnt".

References

   1. http://home.cabletv.on.ca/~econoclast/Theatre/Theatre.html
   2. http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0811,374064,374064,1.html/full
   3. http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/2008/03/mamet-on-govern.html