Pulitzer Prize winning playwright David Mamet joins Andy Napolitano to talk about his new book “Secret Knowledge,” Instincts of the Herd in Peace and War by Wilfred Trotter, and his introduction to F.A. Hayek:
Source link: http://archive.mises.org/17234/david-mamets-metamorphisis/
David Mamet’s Metamorphisis
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Reading (and engaging with commenters) at the AV Club’s review of the book makes me think this is not a book any of us would like or want to hype. He seems to be a very typical neoconservative partisan. This is the kind of political conversion that does more harm than good.
“Andy?” Also, agreed that it seems that Mamet converted to pro-war conservatism, not anything like libertarianism.
See, it’s so rare for a progressive intellectual to pull their head out, that it’s actually big news when they do. Of course, it seems like he went neocon, but who knows, maybe it’s just a stepping stone in the journey.
I’ve read through some of Mamet’s new book. Very strong influence by Sowell, Freidman, and Hayek early on in the book. Surprisingly insightful (if not especially rigorous or comprehensive) thoughts on the nature of individual liberty and the psychology of the left. I haven’t noticed any particularly alarming neo-con stuff in it but I haven’t finished the book.
I’ll say this — even if he’s an inconsistent libertarian, I still see it as a victory. The more he understands the nature of liberty, the more consistently he’ll apply it to each part of politics and government, including international diplomacy and war. This is not someone pandering to “small government” for the sake of personal gain.
And, for what it’s worth, I love his writing. I’d put 2 of his movies in my Top 5 (Glengarry Glen Ross and Red Belt).
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