Who Do So Many Intellectuals Lean To The Left?

Ever wonder why so many so-called intellectuals have socialist leanings? And a need to control things? It seems that at times they can not stomach the idea of 'lesser' individuals doing things for themselves. (pic of Hayek from Wikipedia)

Below are two interesting items. First is a brief interchange between George Will and Friedrich A. Hayek from Meet The Press in 1975. Followed-by a good quote from Eric Hoffer.

Hayek Meets the Press in 1975 - Karen Y. Palasek - Mises Institute:
"Will: 'Dr. von Hayek, capitalism and particularly American capitalism would seem to have a good record at giving people a rising standard of living. Why are so many intellectuals, and particularly so many economists, skeptical about and even hostile to capitalism?'
Hayek: 'Well, I've been puzzling about it for a long time, particularly about the economists who ought to understand better. It's very difficult to know why they don't. I think it's the intellectual attraction of a system you can deliberately control, which is fascinating to the intellectual.'"

The fact is that up to now a free society has not been good for the
intellectual. It has neither accorded him a superior status to sustain his
confidence nor made it easy for him to acquire an unquestioned sense of social
usefulness. For he derives his sense of usefulness mainly from directing,
instructing, and planning- from minding other people's business- and is bound
to feel superfluous and neglected where people believe themselves competent to
manage individual and communal affairs, and are impatient of supervision and
regulation. A free society is as much a threat to the intellectual's sense of
worth as an automated economy is to the workingman's sense of worth. Any social
order that can function with a minimum of leadership will be anathema to the
intellectual.
-- Eric Hoffer
(1902-1983) American author, philosopher, awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom