In general, American intellectuals, professors, and economists are notorious for acting as apologists for government control. After all, since the average person is not particularly interested in intellectual matters, it's very challenging for these professions to survive on their own in the marketplace. So they naturally gravitate towards shilling for government in exchange for financial security, and of course, prestige. Being a government-sponsored celebrity is much easier than making an honest living. Socialist governments around the world (there are only a few that remain) have always been able to count on American intellectuals to act as their apologists as well. Back when the Soviet Union was dying, you could count on American pundits to tell us how amazing things were over there (e.g. Samuelson). Even today, as Venezuela sinks deeper into their socialist nightmare, we have Nobel-prize winning economists that were praising their policies. More below:
Clinton Adviser, Nobel Prize Winning Economist Endorsed Venezuelan Socialism - Ron Paul Liberty Report
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/...r-nobel-prize-winning-economist-endorsed-venezuelan-socialism