The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Newsweek Intern Attempts to Describe Hayek’s Road to Serfdom: Massive FAIL

Posted on | June 17, 2010 | 154 Comments

Thanks to Kathy Shaidle for calling attention to this sophomoric effort by Princeton senior Isia Jasiewicz:

On June 8, Beck devoted an entire episode of his talk show on Fox News to The Road to Serfdom, a work of political theory written in the immediate aftermath of World War II by Friedrich von Hayek, an Austrian émigré to the U.K. and the 1974 recipient of the Nobel Prize in economics . . .
The Road to Serfdom is a treatise on libertarianism, well-known only in academic circles or among political theory wonks stalwart enough to wade through the 60-page introduction and chapters on “Planning and the Rule of Law” and “The Prospects of International Order.”

Ha. Ha. Haha. BWAAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Just a few points:

  • The term “libertarian” in its present meaning was not commonly used until the 1970s.
  • Far from being known only to “wonks,” The Road to Serfdom was a best-seller in 1944 and ’45, going through multiple printings, and was originally popularized through a condensed version published by Reader’s Digest.
  • It was not “a work of political theory,” but an attempt to explain the rise of Nazism and fascism — 1944? hint, hint — as one consequence of the prevalence of socialist ideas. It was a very practical book, warning leaders in England and America that the tendency toward the “planned economy” could produce similar results even in Western democracies.
  • The book obviously wasn’t written in the “aftermath of World War II,” but during the war.
  • As to being “stalwart enough to wade through the 60-page introduction,” my own copy (50th anniversary edition, 1994) includes an 11-page introduction by Milton Friedman and a couple of prefaces to previous editions. The most interesting chapters, to my mind, are Chapter 8 (“Who, Whom?”), Chapter 10 (“Why the Worst Get on Top”) and especially Chapter 12 (“The Socialist Roots of Nazism”), which has never ceased to provoke howls from the Left, who refuse to admit that National Socialism was socialism at all.

Next assignment for Isia Jasiewicz? “The Bible, a theological treatise well-known only in religious circles or among clergy stalwart enough to wade through several pages of ‘begats’ and the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy.”

ADDENDUM: Whatever happened to young journalists learning their craft as reporters before trying their hand at punditry or criticism? I suppose it would be slumming for a Princeton grad to take a job as a staff writer for a newspaper, covering school-board meetings and such. But am I the only reader who resents being lectured to by 22-year-olds? I don’t care what your SAT score was, sweetheart. You’re not that precocious.

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers! Remember that Professor Reynolds is a Yale Law grad, so the humiliation of Princetonians and Harvardians (e.g., Andrew Sullivan) warms the cockles of his heart.

UPDATE II: As I remarked last week, it is unfortunate that most people who read The Road to Serfdom stop there and don’t pursue Austrian economics or Hayekian philosophy further. One of the finest treatises Hayek ever wrote was The Mirage of Social Justice — which goes in-depth on a key theme briefly explored in Road — and yet it gets short shrift. Hayek famously described the errors of socialism in The Fatal Conceit. 

If you want to read some excellent Hayek for free, I recommend “The Intellectuals and Socialism.” And, oh, yeah, Glenn Beck is right: Buy gold.

UPDATE III: Linked by Greg Ransom at the Hayek Center. Wouldn’t it be nice if the center were Hayekian? 

Little Miss Attila has some great Hayekian video.

UPDATE IV: E-mail from a reader:

I’m a former editor at the [Reader’s] Digest. Actually, RD didn’t just do a condensed version of Road to Serfdom, they published the condensed version in the magazine, which at the time was one of, if not the most, widely read magazines in the country.  One of the reasons it is so well known by a certain generation, is that it was read by millions of people who other wise might not have been aware of it. 
No need to mention me, just the fact, which reinforces that this guy’s a moron.  Cheers.

Thanks!

Category: Economics, Glenn Beck, Neutral Objective Journalism

Comments

154 Responses to “Newsweek Intern Attempts to Describe Hayek’s Road to Serfdom: Massive FAIL”

  1. Greg Ransom
    June 18th, 2010 @ 4:22 am

    Anybody take a screen shot of the article?

    I have a suspicion we’ll see some heavy editing by tomorrow morning.

  2. Greg Ransom
    June 18th, 2010 @ 12:22 am

    Anybody take a screen shot of the article?

    I have a suspicion we’ll see some heavy editing by tomorrow morning.

  3. Robert Stacy McCain
    June 18th, 2010 @ 4:26 am

    Hayek — the most influential economist and political thinker of the last 80 years — is not taught in America’s universities.
    A good question is, Why?

    Which was among the questions asked by Bill Buckley in God and Man at Yale (1951).

  4. Robert Stacy McCain
    June 18th, 2010 @ 12:26 am

    Hayek — the most influential economist and political thinker of the last 80 years — is not taught in America’s universities.
    A good question is, Why?

    Which was among the questions asked by Bill Buckley in God and Man at Yale (1951).

  5. Stacy Lays the Smackdown on Newsweek over F.A. Hayek | Little Miss Attila
    June 18th, 2010 @ 12:49 am

    […] . . . in surprising news, he also feels that young journalists should learn to do straight reportage before they try opinion and […]

  6. George Cowan
    June 18th, 2010 @ 4:59 am

    Who voted for Obama? The same people that think Newsweek is journalism.
    News Weak is going down.
    Guess who’s next?

  7. George Cowan
    June 18th, 2010 @ 12:59 am

    Who voted for Obama? The same people that think Newsweek is journalism.
    News Weak is going down.
    Guess who’s next?

  8. H. G. Fielding
    June 18th, 2010 @ 5:08 am

    …the Austrian government made it against the law to use the honorific “von”.

    Ah hell. I was hoping Princeton senior Isia Jasiewicz had conflated Hayek with von Mises.

    The Road to Serfdom is a treatise on libertarianism, well-known only in academic circles or among political theory wonks stalwart enough to wade through the 60-page introduction and chapters on “Planning and the Rule of Law” and “The Prospects of International Order.”

    I guess that translates to “look at the silly tea-baggers buying this too hard for them to read book.” I mean, if a Princeton senior interning for Newsweek can’t read it, what are the odds the knuckle-dragging troglodytic mongloids will?

  9. H. G. Fielding
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:08 am

    …the Austrian government made it against the law to use the honorific “von”.

    Ah hell. I was hoping Princeton senior Isia Jasiewicz had conflated Hayek with von Mises.

    The Road to Serfdom is a treatise on libertarianism, well-known only in academic circles or among political theory wonks stalwart enough to wade through the 60-page introduction and chapters on “Planning and the Rule of Law” and “The Prospects of International Order.”

    I guess that translates to “look at the silly tea-baggers buying this too hard for them to read book.” I mean, if a Princeton senior interning for Newsweek can’t read it, what are the odds the knuckle-dragging troglodytic mongloids will?

  10. Greg Ransom
    June 18th, 2010 @ 5:18 am

    A few days ago Slate had Freddie H.’s name as “Ludwig Von Hayek”.

  11. Greg Ransom
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:18 am

    A few days ago Slate had Freddie H.’s name as “Ludwig Von Hayek”.

  12. Andrew_M_Garland
    June 18th, 2010 @ 5:54 am

    I only read Newsweek when they do the swimsuit issue.

  13. Andrew_M_Garland
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:54 am

    I only read Newsweek when they do the swimsuit issue.

  14. Troy Camplin
    June 18th, 2010 @ 6:00 am

    Everyone should read what Hayek wrote about the economy being a spontaneous order. And people should especially read what he wrote about economics and knowledge. Between these two insights, Hayek proves that economic planning is impossible (insofar as it cannot do what its proponents claim it can do).

    In the meantime, some of us are hard at work developing Hayek’s insights:

    http://www.studiesinemergentorder.com/

    and even apply the concept to the arts and literature:

    http://www.studiesinemergentorder.com/PDF/SIEO%20Vol%203%20(2010)%20Camplin.pdf

  15. Troy Camplin
    June 18th, 2010 @ 2:00 am

    Everyone should read what Hayek wrote about the economy being a spontaneous order. And people should especially read what he wrote about economics and knowledge. Between these two insights, Hayek proves that economic planning is impossible (insofar as it cannot do what its proponents claim it can do).

    In the meantime, some of us are hard at work developing Hayek’s insights:

    http://www.studiesinemergentorder.com/

    and even apply the concept to the arts and literature:

    http://www.studiesinemergentorder.com/PDF/SIEO%20Vol%203%20(2010)%20Camplin.pdf

  16. Joe
    June 18th, 2010 @ 6:28 am

    Nextweek in Newsweek!

    Noam Chomsky opines on the new Atlas Shrugged film!

  17. Joe
    June 18th, 2010 @ 2:28 am

    Nextweek in Newsweek!

    Noam Chomsky opines on the new Atlas Shrugged film!

  18. Journalism Is Hard. Historical Revisionism Is Easy. « The Rhetorican
    June 18th, 2010 @ 3:03 am

    […] Journalism Is Hard. Historical Revisionism Is Easy. June 18, 2010 Posted by Jehuda in Uncategorized. Tags: Education, media bias, News, Politics trackback TOM: Newsweek proto-journalist attempts to describe Hayek’s Road to Serfdom, elicits comedy instead. […]

  19. DYSPEPSIA GENERATION » Blog Archive » Newsweek Intern Attempts to Describe Hayek’s Road to Serfdom: Massive FAIL
    June 18th, 2010 @ 6:24 am

    […] The Other McCain delivers a smackdown. Whatever happened to young journalists learning their craft as reporters before trying their hand at punditry or criticism? I suppose it would be slumming for a Princeton grad to take a job as a staff writer for a newspaper, covering school-board meetings and such. But am I the only reader who resents being lectured to by 22-year-olds? I don’t care what your SAT score was, sweetheart. You’re not that precocious. […]

  20. M. Simon
    June 18th, 2010 @ 10:41 am

    I believe the correct term of art currently is:

    Liars and fact changers.

  21. M. Simon
    June 18th, 2010 @ 6:41 am

    I believe the correct term of art currently is:

    Liars and fact changers.

  22. M. Simon
    June 18th, 2010 @ 10:46 am

    Central planning vs distributed planning.

  23. M. Simon
    June 18th, 2010 @ 6:46 am

    Central planning vs distributed planning.

  24. Lloyd
    June 18th, 2010 @ 10:57 am

    “especially Chapter 12 (“The Socialist Roots of Nazism”), which has never ceased to provoke howls from the Left, who refuse to admit that National Socialism was socialism at all.”

    What would an Austrian know about National Socialism?

  25. Lloyd
    June 18th, 2010 @ 6:57 am

    “especially Chapter 12 (“The Socialist Roots of Nazism”), which has never ceased to provoke howls from the Left, who refuse to admit that National Socialism was socialism at all.”

    What would an Austrian know about National Socialism?

  26. Sarah Rolph
    June 18th, 2010 @ 11:07 am

    Hayek fans may appreciate the recent rap video Fear the Boom and Bust — Hayek vs. Keynes (easily found via Google).

  27. Sarah Rolph
    June 18th, 2010 @ 7:07 am

    Hayek fans may appreciate the recent rap video Fear the Boom and Bust — Hayek vs. Keynes (easily found via Google).

  28. Don Keefhardt
    June 18th, 2010 @ 11:31 am

    Isia (according to the vita on the Newsweek site) has recently transitioned from opining about Harry Potter to opining about 20th century economic theoriticians.

    Seems about right.

    We’re doomed.

  29. Don Keefhardt
    June 18th, 2010 @ 7:31 am

    Isia (according to the vita on the Newsweek site) has recently transitioned from opining about Harry Potter to opining about 20th century economic theoriticians.

    Seems about right.

    We’re doomed.

  30. TJWalsh
    June 18th, 2010 @ 11:38 am

    Princeton must be very proud that one of their seniors considers reading a 60 page introduction as something that needs “wading” through.

  31. TJWalsh
    June 18th, 2010 @ 7:38 am

    Princeton must be very proud that one of their seniors considers reading a 60 page introduction as something that needs “wading” through.

  32. Hayek: Don’t Call It A Come Back
    June 18th, 2010 @ 8:57 am

    […] Make sure to go read the whole post: Newsweek Intern Attempts to Describe Hayek’s Road to Serfdom: Massive FAIL! […]

  33. Lazarus Long
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:06 pm

    “What would an Austrian know about National Socialism?”

    For some reason that strcuk me as LOL funny…..

  34. Lazarus Long
    June 18th, 2010 @ 9:06 am

    “What would an Austrian know about National Socialism?”

    For some reason that strcuk me as LOL funny…..

  35. David
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:22 pm

    Fine post, but I’d leave off the criticism of the use of the term “libertarianism”, or at least put it last instead of first. No sense weakening a knockout with what is really a semantic quibble — especially since the article stated the book “is” rather than “was” a “treatise on libertarianism”.

  36. David
    June 18th, 2010 @ 9:22 am

    Fine post, but I’d leave off the criticism of the use of the term “libertarianism”, or at least put it last instead of first. No sense weakening a knockout with what is really a semantic quibble — especially since the article stated the book “is” rather than “was” a “treatise on libertarianism”.

  37. Paul A'Barge
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:44 pm

    Here is Isiah:
    “http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2008/04/02/pages/2484/OTC_Writer_Isia.jpg”

    Named after some biblical guy but they screwed up a couple of letters?

  38. Paul A'Barge
    June 18th, 2010 @ 9:44 am

    Here is Isiah:
    “http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2008/04/02/pages/2484/OTC_Writer_Isia.jpg”

    Named after some biblical guy but they screwed up a couple of letters?

  39. Snorri Godhi
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:45 pm

    The most interesting chapters, to my mind, are Chapter 8 (“Who, Whom?”), Chapter 10 (“Why the Worst Get on Top”) and especially Chapter 12 (“The Socialist Roots of Nazism”)

    Agreed on chapter 12. I actually have not yet read chapter 8: I find Hayek’s prose hard going*; perhaps I should apply for a job at Newsweek.

    (* though I think he got better at writing English with practice.)

    As for chapter 10, I happened to re-read it recently and it has some insights, but I must say that Machiavelli gave me a clearer picture of why the worst get on top.

    Other good chapters: 5 and 6 explain why central planning is incompatible with democracy and the rule of law, the central theme of the cartoon version of the book (linked to in a previous comment). Chapter 11 “The End of Truth” is essential reading if you want to understand the modern meaning of the word “liberalism”, and it also criticizes postmodernism before it was even born.

  40. Quayle
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:45 pm

    Typical arrogance of America’s current self-proclaimed elite: they know the answers before they’ve even heard the questions or leaned which one’s are crucial.

  41. Snorri Godhi
    June 18th, 2010 @ 9:45 am

    The most interesting chapters, to my mind, are Chapter 8 (“Who, Whom?”), Chapter 10 (“Why the Worst Get on Top”) and especially Chapter 12 (“The Socialist Roots of Nazism”)

    Agreed on chapter 12. I actually have not yet read chapter 8: I find Hayek’s prose hard going*; perhaps I should apply for a job at Newsweek.

    (* though I think he got better at writing English with practice.)

    As for chapter 10, I happened to re-read it recently and it has some insights, but I must say that Machiavelli gave me a clearer picture of why the worst get on top.

    Other good chapters: 5 and 6 explain why central planning is incompatible with democracy and the rule of law, the central theme of the cartoon version of the book (linked to in a previous comment). Chapter 11 “The End of Truth” is essential reading if you want to understand the modern meaning of the word “liberalism”, and it also criticizes postmodernism before it was even born.

  42. Quayle
    June 18th, 2010 @ 9:45 am

    Typical arrogance of America’s current self-proclaimed elite: they know the answers before they’ve even heard the questions or leaned which one’s are crucial.

  43. Snorri Godhi
    June 18th, 2010 @ 1:50 pm

    PS: in chapter 10, Hayek says that a fascist movement, by its very nature, tends to attract the least educated and intelligent (i.e. not Princeton seniors); but in fact the National Socialist German Workers’ Party had disproportionate support from German universities — and from the Ivy League, too: see Stephen H Norwood’s work.

  44. Snorri Godhi
    June 18th, 2010 @ 9:50 am

    PS: in chapter 10, Hayek says that a fascist movement, by its very nature, tends to attract the least educated and intelligent (i.e. not Princeton seniors); but in fact the National Socialist German Workers’ Party had disproportionate support from German universities — and from the Ivy League, too: see Stephen H Norwood’s work.

  45. CGHill
    June 18th, 2010 @ 2:17 pm

    The remarkable aspect of all this, I suppose, is that nowhere does Conor Friedersdorf figure into it.

  46. CGHill
    June 18th, 2010 @ 10:17 am

    The remarkable aspect of all this, I suppose, is that nowhere does Conor Friedersdorf figure into it.

  47. J Milam
    June 18th, 2010 @ 2:19 pm

    It’s perfectly clear to me the kid is a Republican plant.

  48. J Milam
    June 18th, 2010 @ 10:19 am

    It’s perfectly clear to me the kid is a Republican plant.

  49. Roxeanne de Luca
    June 18th, 2010 @ 2:22 pm

    Remember that Professor Reynolds is a Yale Law grad, so the humiliation of Princetonians and Harvardians (e.g., Andrew Sullivan) warms the cockles of his heart.

    Isia’s starting at Yale Law in the fall. Sibling rivalry?!

    I’ve had the pleasure of Isia (for a few moments, granted), but she’s a very lovely young woman. Please go easy on her, Stacy – she’s 22 and liable to make the mistakes that 22-year-olds make. The largest of those, faced by many young liberals, is the belief that the other side lacks an intellectual argument, simply because they have never heard one.

  50. Roxeanne de Luca
    June 18th, 2010 @ 10:22 am

    Remember that Professor Reynolds is a Yale Law grad, so the humiliation of Princetonians and Harvardians (e.g., Andrew Sullivan) warms the cockles of his heart.

    Isia’s starting at Yale Law in the fall. Sibling rivalry?!

    I’ve had the pleasure of Isia (for a few moments, granted), but she’s a very lovely young woman. Please go easy on her, Stacy – she’s 22 and liable to make the mistakes that 22-year-olds make. The largest of those, faced by many young liberals, is the belief that the other side lacks an intellectual argument, simply because they have never heard one.

    About

    This is an area on your website where you can add text. This will serve as an informative location on your website, where you can talk about your site.

    Subscribe to our feed

    Search

    Admin