Rational Autocrats

The everyone-and-her-cat-is-rational argument, when I first learnt about it, is pretty impressive. But it becomes empty pretty soon. It is the kind of shallow tautology that scarcely offers anything deeper than most of the history books would teach us --- if they are good enough.

One of Hayek's most profound argument is that people make mistakes and the free market is the best known mechanisms to limit the damage. I am slightly disappointed that Prof. Russ Roberts, as an obvious fan of Hayek, didn't raise the argument in that podcast.

Besides, the average Chineses do not even read English or own a computer. Prof. Roberts comments, although not meant to be serious, is somewhat not of the usual height of his wit.

As a native Chinese in a big city, I clearly find life easier as time goes by. (I do have my own personal problems that I have almost no hope to resolve, except by having some happy day-dreaming now and then to ease the pressure.)

But, as we cannot agree on whether there is a Global warming or cooling --- that is supposed to be in the realm of the objective natural science --- how dare I say what an average Chinese feels about his or her life. That being said, do I agree that there is no means to improve things here and now? Obviously there are room for improvement. That may ring a bell to those laissez-faire believers. But I think that is wrong application of that concept.

Nonetheless, thank you for providing econtalk and econlog and econlib on the Internet. Sincerely. Thank you all.