Gosh, I adore The Wire but Simon's comments give me pause as I don't believe that capitalism is the cause of Baltimore's woes. Rather it seems that a migration of well-paying jobs to NY and DC have caused the city to melt down.
Leonardo | 10.18.07 - 5:35 pm | #

The thing that doesn't make sense is that The Wire is probably the most libertarian show out there. I don't understand how such a gap can exist between the intended message and the actual interpretation. It's not like I'm complaining though, I'm eagerly awaiting December 4th when the fourth season comes out on DVD.
Nacim Bouchtia | 10.19.07 - 1:02 am | #

Without a transcript, it's hard to tell if Simon really meant it in the context the New Yorker phrased it.

Also, it's hard to argue that a large swath of public servants - police, prosecutors, etc. - aren't doing their jobs as if they are in business for themselves. That too would be raw capitalism.
Russ | 10.19.07 - 11:17 am | #

I wouldn't agree with that statement Russ. While it is true that public servants perform their jobs for their own gain, that has very little to do with raw capitalism since they are almost always dealing with other people's property.

The whole foundation of capitalism isn't simply that individuals are greedy, but that a system of private property and free exchange are the best way to way to prosper and benefit from that greed. This is why if I ever teach a class on Public Choice (the economic approach to why and how public servants behave in 'political markets') I am most definitely going to be using clips from The Wire to better illustrate my lessons.
Nacim Bouchtia | 10.19.07 - 12:11 pm | #

Russ,

I've heard Simon talk. He says the same thing everywhere. Love the guy, but he meant it how it sounds.

He can be a tough guy to put in an ideological box.
Rob | Homepage | 10.19.07 - 12:26 pm | #