With respect, the point is not that consumers are dumb and dangerous. They are simply flawed economic actors, which I feel warrants saying. I seldom see it acknowledged when discussing political economy with people. Public officials suffer from limitations of their own that are no less serious and guarantee that the policy-making process is riddled with imperfections, as well. We really have to make do with what we have got. That is not propaganda - merely an observation. Using a handful of sentences to decide what I give a group of people credit for is presumptuous.
I am pro-government. The state is useful as a tool for moderating social conflict and upholding social rights. This tool is not useful for everything but that does not mean we need to throw it away or be afraid of using it in a limited capacity. I do not think an industry has to be privately owned and thoroughly deregulated to function well for the benefit of the individual and society alike. If that makes me anti-free enterprise, then so what? One can express some criticism of consumers and still place a moderate measure of trust in them and fancy markets, you know.
