Liberal Rationalism

I know of few writers as knowledgeable or as emphatic on the idea that government experts can solve most of our difficult problems than Jonathan Cohn. Here he's summarizing Jonathan Gruber's column in the NYT on universal health-care serving as a fiscal stimulus:

Gruber, who is one of the nation's most respected experts on health care issues, goes on to make a point familiar to readers of this space. Reform, he notes, could eventually create a more rational health care system in which we don't throw away so much money on administration, inefficient care, or unnecessary treatments. And less waste in health care means more money for other, more productive purposes.

Here's one, slightly oversimplified way to think of it: Health care reform would help the economy in the short term--by increasing spending on medical care. It would also help the economy in the long term--by reducing spending on medical care. Pretty neat, huh?

If only more really respected experts would make all of our lives more efficient. Pretty neat, huh?