Homines libenter quod volunt credunt
Posted in Disingenuous, Environment, labor markets, Tribalism, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Sep 20th, 2017
My eyes tend to gravitate toward climate and labor market issues, so I encounter the following two “arguments” all of the time. (1) There are those who present global temperature data in the following way: “if you look at global temperature records, the rate of temperature increase around the planet has either slowed or paused […]
Posted in Disingenuous, Environment, Methodology, Tribalism on Sep 7th, 2017
To appreciate the state of the “debate”, replace every use of the term “climate change” in a debate with “Genetically Modified Organisms.” If an economist dares to speak on climate change, lighting bolts will descend upon her from the heavens and the fires of Hades will engulf her from below If you see the word […]
Posted in Disingenuous, Special Privilege, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Aug 24th, 2017
This tweet just hit my feed (and signs are popping up in my neighborhood too): I’ve seen it shared by folks from the NYSUT. Now, whether or not the convention is a good idea (more on that later) is not the question, it’s the assertion that “high-paid lobbyists want to shape the state of NY.” […]
Posted in Classical Liberalism, Disingenuous, Education, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Innovation, Special Privilege, Tribalism on Mar 5th, 2017
Well, I can’t talk about it. But let me suggest one or two things to keep in mind. I feel like some part of the campus conservative movement is, itself, to blame for this. I know, I sound like blaming the victim, but my sense is that they are inviting controversial speakers to campus not […]
Posted in Disingenuous on Feb 17th, 2017
From Coyote: Several years ago I was uninvited from co-chairing an effort on gay marriage because others in the group did not like my stances on unrelated issues like education choice.
Posted in Disingenuous, Environment, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., You Can't Have it Both Ways on Feb 15th, 2017
A very misunderstood idea is that “organic” foods are grown without pesticides. This is patently untrue. Organic foods are grown with “approved” pesticides – generally those that have a biological origin. Of course, this does not mean that these pesticides are worse, or better, than “unnaturally” produced chemical pesticides (aren’t biological pesticides also chemicals? Oh, […]
Posted in Disingenuous, Education, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Price Controls, Special Privilege, Voluntary Society, You Can't Have it Both Ways on Feb 8th, 2017
Quite literally almost every single person involved in college athletics/kidney donations gets paid except the very people who are generating the lion’s share of value in the first place. Tell me an argument in favor of banning kidney sales and then insert “college athlete” and see how that sounds. Of course, neither the athlete nor […]
Posted in Central Planning, Disingenuous, Education, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., You Can't Have it Both Ways on Feb 8th, 2017
It is well understood that the incidence of defaults on college debt is higher on people with smaller loans outstanding. These are marginally attached students to begin with. Remember that 40% of students who start college do not finish. Yet, contrast this with where the “noise” is coming from on “free college” and the “college loan crisis.” […]
Posted in Behavior, Disingenuous, Government Gone Wild, Tribalism on Jan 31st, 2017
President Donald J. Trump is your Nudger in Chief. Here are some glowing endorsements. “For generations paternalism has had a bad odor, and individual autonomy has reigned supreme. Sarah Conly’s book will change all of that. She argues in favor of paternalism with rigor and gusto, and persuasively shows how shedding our reflexive aversion to […]
Posted in Disingenuous, Dynamism - Not, Economic Illiteracy, Extended Order, Government Gone Wild, Government Thuggery, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Immigration on Jan 30th, 2017
In fact I’m not at all clear how my family got to America. I think three generations above me had people illegally sneaking into the US from both Canada and I think parts south. But my family doesn’t quite know. But as sure as the ocean is salty, my kind was not much liked – […]
