Jonathan Chait's The Big Con

The New Republic's invaluable Jonathan Chait has released his first book: The Big Con: The True Story of How Washington Got Hoodwinked and Hijacked by Crackpot Economics. Here's the beginning of an excerpt in TNR that highlights Chait's devastating combination of empiricism and wit:

American politics has been hijacked by a tiny coterie of right-wing economic extremists, some of them ideological zealots, others merely greedy, a few of them possibly insane. The scope of their triumph is breathtaking. Over the course of the last three decades, they have moved from the right-wing fringe to the commanding heights of the national agenda. Notions that would have been laughed at a generation ago--that cutting taxes for the very rich is the best response to any and every economic circumstance or that it is perfectly appropriate to turn the most rapacious and self-interested elements of the business lobby into essentially an arm of the federal government--are now so pervasive, they barely attract any notice.

Comments

[Rob]

"hijacked by a tiny coterie of . . . extremists, some of them ideological zealots, others merely greedy, a few of them possibly insane"--is Chait talking about the government of the United States or of The New Republic?

[Sean-B]

I wonder what causes people to attack even valid criticism of how the guards of the government henhouse have become the foxes. I'm not sure who doesn't want government accountability and fiscal responsibility.

[david]

This seems like it could be an interesting read, I'll have to look for it.

@Sean-B
Couldn't agree more. The fact that some people insist that a mounting government debt isn't a problem confuse me. I don't understand how people don't see that Republicans are taking in less tax money but spending as much or more money, it just doesn't work.