The news reports the death of Irving Kristol, one-time socialist turned democratic capitalist. He was of course not a libertarian; his love for the market extended to two cheers only. He was also instrumental in tying the capitalist cause to a celebration of the warfare state–the whole ideology of neoconservatism–which didn’t help the cause much in the end. This ideological move he helped bring about probably did as much to wed the cause of peace to the push for socialism among the left.
However, I have personal fond memories of him from several long lunches with him. One aspect of his very sharp mind I really appreciated: he never trusted an official statistic. He loved grilling bureaucrats and neoclassical economists on the meaning of GDP, unemployment, national income, saving, and all the other statistical apparatus. He would ask question after question, with his funny wry smile and pretend-naive ways, and enjoy watching the experts crumble into dust under his questioning.
He somehow knew just the right question to ask that would cause people to sweat and finally melt in his presence. He was deeply skeptical of the whole enterprise of government in general, and brought his opposition to socialism to bear with a general orientation to disbelieve most of what the bureaucracies do. He might have made a great Austrian had his intellectual training led him in that direction, and if he hadn’t been so dedicated to the idea of the American empire. In any case, I have very fond memories of his doubtful and skeptical mind at work. There’s a good model to follow here.
