The Jonathan Gruber Flap

Sadly, the revelations that surfaced this past week concerning MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber came as no surprise to many of us in academe.  Numerous videos of Gruber, the architect of both RomneyCare and ObamaCare, laid bare the duplicity and hypocricy of the machinations that led to Congressional passage of both RomneyCare and ObamaCare.  While Gruber has made it clear he wishes that these videos had never seen the light of day, he has yet to dispute the central theme of the videos-- that Gruber and others deliberately mislead the "stupid" American people regarding almost every aspect of ObamaCare.

It is clear that Gruber would prefer not to have to deal with messy things like democracy and transparency.  Gruber, like Krugman, are so convinced that they are right and that the average American is stupid, that there is really no need for Americans to be properly informed.  Indeed, Gruber's admissions of duplicity were put forward with pride.  Gruber thought that his views would never become public because his contempt for the average American was displayed in talks to fellow academics, most of whom share his contempt for the average American and for democracy itself.

This is what happens in the world of the elite, that Tom Sowell has so eloquently described on many occasions.  Debate and process are irrelevant when you have all the answers. No need for transparency or honesty, when your view of the greater good is at stake.

This attitude explains why most academics are opposed to letting Americans choose for themselves -- whether in education, health care, or in the workplace.  They know best.  Gruber deserves thanks for exposing his view of the world for all of us to see.

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