scrutiny, however, assures the complete seriousness of Rueff (and surely his publishers must be counted above suspicion). The subtitle attests not to Rueff’s irony, but to the unfailing courtesy and patience with which he appraises the problems grappled with by his opponents (and, no doubt, his profound and lively concern at some of the “solutions” being widely proposed). Rueff is tireless in attributing to his adversaries superior intelligence, superb clarity of exposition, and shining nobility of purpose. The tenacity with which he controverts their conclusions is made all the more effective by the gentleness with which he exposes their fallaciousness.
It is by no means necessary to subscribe to the somewhat intricate details of Rueff’s argument in order to concur heartily in the over-all message of the book. It might seem perhaps too much to expect those refusing to recognize the power for corrective adjustment embodied in market forces at the domestic level to comprehend their operation in the international sphere. The illusion of omnipotence over economic affairs entertained by governments—an illusion which it may be considered a function of economic science to dispel —is apparently particularly sweet at the level of international exchange. The result has been a steady expansion of state control over the activities of individual citizens, as tourists, as businessmen, and as investors.
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