Brad Delong is to the left of the Obama administration
I think it’s tragic that Brad Delong is finding himself to the left of the administration of President Obama. Especially on the banking issue. Delong is a far cry from radical. Many on the far left have been uncomfortable with his positive view of markets. I recall the mailist that Doug Henwood ran in the mid-90s, where the radicals would call Delong a conservative or a right-winger, because of his celebration of the utility of markets. In a perfect world, Delong would represent the exact center of American politics, and then around that center would be the various left and right factions, each trying to pull the government in their direction. That Delong is not at the center of American politics, even when America has a nominally progressive President, leaves me worried that there is something fundamentally wrong with the political culture in the US.