Although I haven't heard about any price controls being proposed by the new Obama administration, Tim Case (LewRockwell.com) puts together an amusing "report" on Diocletian's Price Edict semi-transposed into present-day circumstances...or re-told with modernizing touches...The Lactantius bit is fairly authentic and entertaining:
In the hopes of getting a religious viewpoint to Diocletian’s wage and price control plans we contacted the renowned Christian apologist, Lactantius. Lactantius refused a prolonged interview due, he said, to his lack of economic knowledge. However, he did think wage and price controls would portend disaster but refused to elucidate further. Then with an esoteric smile and a wave of the hand in dismissal he stated: "Even the Sibyls openly say that Rome is doomed to perish."
It is not, apparently, only a dig on Obama; George Bush and his administration might equally well have fit the mold of Diocletian...Ah, those people at LewRockwell.com do love that Diocletian example...
Oh, and further by the way, although the Price Edict does seem to have been an abject failure, and persecutions of Christians notwithstanding, Diocletian on balance did promote the Roman Empire's recovery after long years of economic, military and political turmoil in the 3rd century...
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