An email:

You were way too easy on Wieseltier. He writes, “The response of the right to the crisis in America was to flee to its catechism. The Republicans propose to bail out the economy with doctrine. Unemployment is 7.6 percent and rising, and they say: let them eat Friedman.” This is just stupid and anti-intellectual sloganeering. The Democrats have flown right into their own doctrine, and they want us all to eat Keynes. If you want to say that Keynes is superior to Friedman then fine, but I doubt Wieseltier knows enough to make the case. He writes also that “the cause of all this misery was the market abandon that [Republicans] promoted so messianically.” That’s just glib idiocy. Loose monetary policy, Fannie and Freddie, mark-to-market, the CRA: that was all “market abandon”?
Finally: “nobody was ever rescued, or enlarged, by being left alone.” He is, mind you, using this line in the service of a plea for government activism. Is he kidding? Please don’t leave me alone, Mr. federal government: Enlarge me!

Glib idiocy is maybe a bit strong. There’s a case to be made about lack of regulation and the financial crisis–one that I don’t, in the main, buy, but a case nonetheless. Wieseltier doesn’t of course make it. Though he talks about “the bravery of argument,” he actually seems to prefer the self-satisfaction of assertion.