Stuart Anderson sensibly proposes mandatory national-service for New York Times columnists. (Why is it that so many people, upon noticing – or imagining that they notice – a “social” problem, immediately jump to the conclusion that deploying government-directed force is the best way to “solve” that problem? Such an attitude reveals an astonishing (1) lack of historical knowledge; (2) confidence in both the integrity and ability of political officials; and – most tellingly – (3) reality that the coercion-happy adult has an imagination no more refined than that of a six-year old.)
Industrial policy (regardless of its intended color) = picking losers.
