Decent "Leaders"?
8 February 2007
The Editor, New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036
To the Editor:
David Brooks vividly explains that today's politicians, who are often sensible in private, camoflauge themselves in public: they routinely endorse policies that they really don't believe in ("Private Virtue, Public Vice," Feb. 8). Then Brooks strangely concludes "In private, we have a decent leadership class. In public, it's rotten."
Persons who are wise and steadfast only in private - only when they suffer no risks for sticking to their principles - are neither decent nor leaders. They are opportunists, posers, and rogues.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
The Editor, New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036
To the Editor:
David Brooks vividly explains that today's politicians, who are often sensible in private, camoflauge themselves in public: they routinely endorse policies that they really don't believe in ("Private Virtue, Public Vice," Feb. 8). Then Brooks strangely concludes "In private, we have a decent leadership class. In public, it's rotten."
Persons who are wise and steadfast only in private - only when they suffer no risks for sticking to their principles - are neither decent nor leaders. They are opportunists, posers, and rogues.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Posted by Don Boudreaux on
Tuesday October 16, 2007 at 4:37pm