Tyler has often said that his co-blogger Alex Tabarrok is the best truth-tracker in our lunch posse. Alas, Tyler fails to take his own assessment seriously. See their exchange on the myths of the credit "crisis":
Phase 1. Alex
summarizes the latest data.
Phase 2. Tyler
expresses skepticism.
Phase 3. Alex
rebuts:
The Minn. Fed. presented data demonstrating that four widely reported claims about the credit crisis panic are myths - do either of the cited links claim that any of these myths are in fact true? No. Do either of the cited links present any data at all on the quantity of credit?
No. Many people cite prices/rates/spreads as evidence for the crisis
but what we ultimately care about is quantity not price. The Fed.
piece had lots of data on the quantity of credit. Where is the rebuttal? Does Tyler cite any data at all or lay out his counter-claims? No.
Phase 4. Tyler
changes the subject.
That's no way to treat the best truth-tracker in your lunch posse!
Thanks for the roundup!
What is a "truth-tracker"? (And please, don't just say 'someone who tracks the truth'; that isn't helpful)
"What is a "truth-tracker"? (And please, don't just say 'someone who tracks the truth'; that isn't helpful)"
Sure it is, the concept is self explanatory.
Cowen has praised Tabarrok as being the best at distilling conclusions from the heap of everyone else's conversational impressions, conjectures and observations.