Hillary Clinton on the Economy and Donald Trump

In a speech in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday,  Hillary Clinton attacked Donald Trump’s business record and economic proposals.

“Donald Trump has said he’s qualified to be president because of his business record,” Clinton said. “A few days ago he said — and I quote — ‘I’m going to do for the country what I did for my business.’ So let’s take a look.”

She then called out his casino bankruptcies in Atlantic City; disparaged his companies’ and stated that his “one move” in business and politics was to make “over-the-top promises” and then let people down.

Clinton said that the global economy “hangs on every word our president says."

She said Trump’s suggesting that the United States might default on its debt could start “a global panic” if he were president.

She said that like Trump’s foreign policy ideas and his economic proposals were dangerous. “Just like he shouldn’t have his finger on the button, he shouldn’t have his hands on our economy,”Clinton said.

And, of course, she is correct on this last point. No one should be attempting "to run the economy," not even Hillary. "Running the economy" is an interventionist theme that is doomed to failure. It is as F.A. Hayek noted, a fatal conceit to think an economy and society can be planned.

The question should not be who runs the economy but rather should the economy be run at all?

-RW