John Stossel

You have to give credit to ABC and the Denver Post. The Post has not fired David Harsanyi and ABC has not canned Mister Stossel. Though both disagree with every freedom lovin' word.

Stossel has a guest editorial in the WSJ today that quotes Hayek, spontaneous order and the power of free markets.

I try to demonstrate that in my upcoming ABC TV special, "John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics." I centrally planned a skating rink, and stood in the center of the ice and shouted through a bullhorn: "Slow down! Turn right. No backwards skating!" It didn't work. People hated it. Some fell, just as predicted by George Mason University professor Daniel Klein, who came up with the idea.

Had I been directing an economy, politicians would say that I failed because I'm not smart enough. They'd demand that we elect an expert. So I gave the bullhorn to Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano. He did no better. Even a genius, or an angel, will lack knowledge of the individual skater's situation. It changes moment by moment. Mr. Boitano and I had no clue who was off-balance, who wanted to speed up, who needed a bathroom break. The skaters each perceived the situation as it happened, and followed their own principles of motion.

Superb stuff.

Philosophy Posted by John Kranz at October 17, 2008 3:27 PM