« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

MEMBER DIARY

Andrew Sullivan’s Reality Based Economic Analysis

By: Ben Domenech (Diary)  |  June 22nd, 2011 at 08:58 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Dan Mitchell writes this morning about Andrew Sullivan’s reality-based economic analysis:

I was rather amused last night when I read one of his posts, in which he was discussing whether government spending helps or hurts economic performance. He took the view that a bigger public sector stimulated growth, and criticized those who wanted to reduce the burden of government spending, snarkily observing that, “The notion that Herbert Hoover was right has become quite a dogged meme on the reality-challenged right.”

Since I’m one of those “reality-challenged” people who prefer smaller government, I obviously disagreed with his analysis. But his reference to Hoover set off alarm bells. As I have noted before, Hoover increased the burden of government during his time in office.

It turns out that Hoover actually increased government spending by 47 percent (50 if you adjust for falling prices). Mitchell has the audacity to back this claim up with numbers and everything. There’s even a convenient chart!

It’s so hard to be reality based when the facts get in the way.

Tags: , , ,

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • edintexas

    The Left, and Democrats (but I repeat myself) have no need for facts, they have their “story”. If the story is a myth, they don’t care. They have had control of the media, and education system, for so long they are sure their myth is treated as fact by the vast majority of people. Sadly, at least in the recent past, they have been correct.

  • johnt

    HH was the first Rino, a decent man who led massive recovery efforts in Europe after WW 1. He signed into law the Reconstruction Finance Corp, and public works programs.
    The mental disconnect of Sullivan, like the rest of the liberal[?] insane, leaves one slightly sick. The stupidity mixed with arrogance and topped with sarcasm can contribute to severe nausea. The idea that spending federal dollars has curative powers that other spending and investment does not have is fit more for cave man ritualistic orgies than even a minimally literate society. And that’s putting the corruption of politics aside, a tall order.
    Fanaticism dies hard. The aimless but hostile souls who placed their egos in the absurd promise of Mother Government can’t give up their blind faith, cursed with historic failure and a total failure after 2 &1/2 years. So what’s left for them? What’s left for them is the same old affectation of superiority, in the face of utter failure and corruption. This is what happens when your Self is built on a mirage and lie, and a vicious, incompetent Administration,
    That’s the reality, when does it hit the poor fools?