Hajek o ekonomskim depresijama, i neke reperkusije

Jedna od omiljenih taktika "levih" Austrijanaca (npr ovih) je da svakog ko zagovara zlatni standard ili 100% rezerve, ili je protiv kreditne ekspanzije za vreme recesije nazovu "rotbardovcem". To je klasična etiketa koja treba da kaže da eto, ti ljudi veruju u razne čudne stvari poput anarhizma, zlatnog standarda itd. To je jedna uska grupa, kako se ponekad čuje, "neoaustrijanaca" koji imaju neke svoje radikalne, idiosinkratske teorije, ali mainstraim Austrijanci su ok.

Moj odgovor na ovakve teorije je da citiram uvek Misesa i Hajeka i do pokazujem da Rothbard i rotbardovci nisu zapravo mnogo originalni u ovakvim idejama, a još manje "neoaustrijanci": 100% bankarstvo je zastupao Mises jednako kao i Rothbard, zlatni standard je zastupao Mizes jednako kao i Rothbard, a sve najnepopularnije i najmrskije deflacionističke i likvidacionističke teorije je najmerodvanije razvio Hajek. Ovde sam o tome malo više raspravljao. Evo jednog podužeg ali vrlo znakovitog citata iz 1932.

Far from following a deflationary policy, central banks, particularly in theUnited States, have been making earlier and more far-reaching efforts than have ever been undertaken before to combat the depression by a policy of credit expansion—with the result that the depression has lasted longer and has become more severe than any preceding one. What we need is a readjustment of those elements in the structure of production and of prices that existed before the deflation began and which then made it unprofitable for industry to borrow. But, instead of furthering the inevitable liquidation of the maladjustments brought about by the boom during the last three years, all conceivable means have been used to prevent that readjustment from taking place; and one of these means, which has been repeatedly tried though without success, from the earliest to the most recent stages of depression, has been this deliberate policy of credit expansion...To combat the depression by a forced credit expansion is to attempt to cure the evil by the very means which brought it about; because we are suffering from a misdirection of production, we want to create further misdirection—a procedure that can only lead to a much more severe crisis as soon as the credit expansion comes to an end.

Zvuči gore nego Rothbard, ne? Hajek je kanonizovan danas kao politički filozof, a marginalizovan kao ekonomista. To nije slučajno - njegova trećelinijaška levo-liberalna gledišta koja se razvijaju od sredine 30ih nadalje mnogo su prijemčivija za politički i akademski mainstream od njegove mizesovske ekonomske teorije iz ranih 30ih. Ova knjiga sažima po mom sudu najvažnije stvari koje je Hajek ikada napisao. I zahvaljujući kojima taktika napada na ljude poput Joe Salerna ili Guido Hulsmana kao "neoaustrijance" nema šanse na uspeh.