Since the 1930s, the typical story about Herbert Hoover’s presidency has been that he stood by and did nothing while the economy crashed. Hoover was a firm believer in laissez-faire, so the story goes, and believed that the “invisible hand” would solve everything if only the government would step back and let the process take care of itself. This story has become holy writ to Democrats, and their academic and media allies. They cite as “proof” that Hoover followed Andrew Mellon’s advice to “liquidate” everyone; of course, Mellon was giving advice that Hoover openly rejected, but that part is not … Continue reading The Consequences of Lying About Hoover