THE WASHINGTON POST
Wednesday, November 3, 2010; 5:51 PM
In his Oct. 31 op-ed, "The war recovery?," David S. Broder piled error on error to reach a ghoulish conclusion.
Item: Economists do not "inevitably conclude" that the "business cycle cannot be rushed." The issue is disputed; indeed, Mr. Broder himself credits the stimulus package with having "put the brakes on the runaway decline."
Item: At the time, the phrase "Great Depression" applied to the years 1929-33. By 1936, the United States had experienced rapid growth for four years; unemployment (once you count those working for the New Deal) had fallen from 25 to below 10 percent; and FDR was reelected, carrying all but two states. World War II remained years away.
Item: Preparations for war on Iran would not resemble those for World War II. They would roughly resemble those for the war on Iraq, whose effect on economic growth was exhausted by 2004.
Any suggestion that President Obama turn to war to boost the economy is obscene, and it leaves one to wonder: Did Mr. Broder write this for Halloween - or April Fools' Day?
James K. Galbraith, Austin
The writer is chairman of Economists for Peace and Security