[DoughtyOne]

Last weekend, Harvard University sponsored a conference called (I am not making this up) "The Free Market Mindset: History, Psychology, and Consequences." Its purpose was to try to figure out why, since everyone knows the current crisis amounts to a failure of the market economy, the stupid rubes continue to believe in it.

Stupid rubes? Good grief!

[mpreston]

Stupid rubes? Good grief!

Be careful. The author is mixing personal opinion with conference outlines. It would have been nice if the author actually reviewed presented material vs. attack the conference title. This conference could have ended up supporting capitalism but there is no way to tell from this article.

I will be the first in line to criticise Harvard and Ivy League schools but lets base it on reality vs. perception.

[To Hell With Poverty]

Stupid rubes? Good grief!

He's referring to Harvard's attitude towards free marketeers and the general public.

[To Hell With Poverty]

Oops, never mind. I replied off my ping notifications before reading your discussion with other FReepers about the origins of "rubes."

I didn't know that about the term, so thanks.

[SteamShovel]

Its purpose was to try to figure out why, since everyone knows the current crisis amounts to a failure of the market economy, the stupid rubes continue to believe in it.

The Harvard educated MBA's and PhD's with little common sense running this country into the ground might have more to do with our troubles than the free market.....

Perhaps the answer is to outlaw a Harvard degree holder from running anything.

Oops, I guess I just outed myself as a rube.....