ARNOLD KLING
August 14, 2011
The Top Political Contributors
August 11, 2011
Gender and the New Commanding Heights
August 11, 2011
Jamie Galbraith Makes an Assumption
August 11, 2011
Macroeconometrics: The Science of Hubris
August 10, 2011
Real and Nominal Bond Yields
BRYAN CAPLAN
August 14, 2011
The Effect of Thumb Sucking on Income
August 12, 2011
The Voice of Cold, Hard Truth to All Would-Be Educators
August 12, 2011
Ability, Morality, and Prosperity: A Paper and a Report
August 11, 2011
The Theory of Time and Frittering
August 10, 2011
Male Variance and the Remnants of the Gender Gap
DAVID HENDERSON
August 9, 2011
Hayek in "Unbroken", Part Two
August 8, 2011
Hayek in "Unbroken"
August 5, 2011
James Bovard on the Peace Corps
August 4, 2011
Summers Way Off on FDR and 1941
August 3, 2011
The "Amazon" Tax
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One really must wonder why he spends time trying to convince people of things via classes, books, blogs and newspaper columns if he thinks it would make no difference if everyone agrees with him.
Wouldn't privatizing Social Security and Medicare be better than any of those five?
What is it with farm subsidies?
As I read his answer, Cowen declined to accept the hypothetical (for no good reason). He did not really entertain the case of everyone having his economic knowledge.
If everyone were as informed and educated who's to say they will agree with him? I support near all the proposals as goals but I'd never condone outright elimination versus phasing out and I'd certainly extort some concessions to influence external actors in the process if only just because I could. Then there's some things being glossed over such as the value of maintaining industrial or food capacity as "insurance." Any straight economic analysis would tell you insurance is a bad economic expense. Doesn't stop insurance from being a good idea.
Tyler's pessimism is justified so long as political goals are expressed in terms of spending decisions, activities, institutional structures, or ideology. My suggestion is instead to subordinate policy to outcomes: outcomes that are meaningful to natural persons (as against corporations). This would change things.
Tyler may have succombed to the popular idea that politicians don't reflect the views of their voters. I disagree with that view completely. Politicians know how to survive politically, if they don't know anything else. Their survival depends on reading the minds of their constituents. That's difficult to do because voters are conflicted. They want smaller government and less taxes along with expanded social welfare and military spending. Politicians have to guess which of these is most important to his voters. If he guesses wrong, he's out of a job.
But if everyone knew econ like Taylor, the job of politicians would be much easier.
Small steps? Crazy? Not enough.
Let me tell you all a story. It's a story about philosophy. It's a story thousands of years old. It's a story that is true. It's a story that will be retold as long as there are humans.
Alexander the Great, the most powerful man in the world, more powerful than all the presidents who ever lived and who will ever lived, all of them combined; Alexander the Great, the son of Philip of Macedonia who conquered the Greeks and became their king; Alexander the Great who was tutored by Aristotle, Alexander who conquered the whole of the known world, Alexander the Great who killed several of his brothers to become Philip's successor, Alexander the Great had heard of a great philosopher whose name was Diogenes.
Alexander the Great sought out Diogenes, as an advisor, hoping to gain him for his own needs, and he and his men chased his kingdom to discover where he might be.
Alexander finally found Diogenes lying on a rock in the morning sun warming his body. Alexander and his men came upon Diogenes, and Alexander not sure if this was indeed the philosopher about whom he had heard, said, "I seek a philosopher named Diogenes, would you be such a man?"
Diogenes looked up, and responded, "Yes, I am such a man, and one who lies on the ground before you like a dog."
Alexander, shaken by this response re-asserted his stallion-like manliness, stating, "Oh Diogenes, I have searched my kingdom for you. I am Alexander, King of the Greeks, the Son of Philip of Macedonia who conquered the Greeks. Diogenes, there is little that is beyond my command as King. Is there any way I can pay tribute to you? Is there anything I can do for you, Diogenes? Tell me, Diogenes, what can Alexander do for you?"
To which Diogenes responded, "Yes, Alexander, son of Philip, there is something you can do for me... Step out of the sunlight that warms my body."
Small steps are too much. Being a conservative is something very few will ever understand.
Don Robertson, The American Philosopher
Limestone, Maine
An Illustrated Philosophy Primer for Young Readers
Precious Life - Empirical Knowledge
The Grand Unifying Theory & The Theory of Time
http://www.geocities.com/donaldwrobertson/index.html
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