I used to think that too, but then when I attended one of his lectures all bright-eyed and naive, I remember him distinctly pooh-poohing something one of his associates did that WAS inconsistent and hypocritical. The questioner was not being belligerent and raised a good point. Ralphie shook his head, basically blowing the guy off. It showed me he agreed and didn’t want to answer.
That was the end of buying his books, etc.
This weird-ass ascetic leftist zealot has been one of the most destructive forces to American industry, lifestyle an economy in history.
He’s been a prime mover in the ascent of the federal nanny state and a black mark on human progress and freedom.