At times of serious economic distress, policymakers thrash about seeking solutions, and some people lose confidence in the economic system itself. Indeed, in the Great Depression of the 1930’s, it was common for Western intellectuals to turn to communism and central planning as a hoped-for panacea.
遭遇几次严重的经济危机后，决策者开始寻求解决办法，有些人则会对经济制度本身失去信心。事实上，在二十世纪三十年代大萧条期间，西方知识分子转向共产主义，将计划经济作为救市的灵丹妙药是很正常的。一些因此从未转回来过，尽管共产主义倒台了。