Markets and 'markets', continued

Dean Baker writes:

The key flaw in the stance that most progressives have taken on economic issues is that they have accepted a framing whereby conservatives are assumed to support market outcomes, while progressives want to rely on the government. This framing leads progressives to futilely lash out against markets,rather than examining the factors that lead to undesirable market outcomes. The market is just a tool, and in fact a very useful one. It makes no more sense to lash out against markets than to lash out against the wheel. The reality is that conservatives have been quite actively using the power of the government to shape market outcomes in ways that redistribute income upward.

This is from the preface to The Conservative Nanny State published last year and available as a free download. I'm not sure I'd go along with all Mr Baker's suggestions, but the book is well worth reading.