IN “THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW”, the New York Times’ op-ed columnist David Brooks continues to burnish his Goofus MacDuff credentials.

Republicans are right to oppose the current concentration of power in Washington. But once that is halted, America faces a series of problems that can’t be addressed simply by getting government out of the way.

So far, so good. But here’s where Brooks jumps to the wrong conclusion.

The social fabric is fraying. Human capital is being squandered. Society is segmenting. The labor markets are ill. Wages are lagging. Inequality is increasing. The nation is overconsuming and underinnovating. China and India are surging. Not all of these challenges can be addressed by the spontaneous healing powers of the market.

No conservative I know argues that “all challenges can be addressed by the spontaneous healing powers of the market”; rather we argue that most - if not all - these challenges have been created by an energetic - and unlimited - government.