The Real Governments of Blue America

Paul Krugman correctly summarizes why the Republican party can not solve the problems they promise to solve. “they have systematically deprived themselves of the ability to analyze policies and learn from evidence, because hard thinking might lead someone to question received doctrine.” From: nytimes.com

Krugman | The Venezuela Calumny – The New York Times

Noticeably lacking in argumentum ad Venezuela, any reason why Venezuela is a better analogue than Canada or Western Europe. “Maybe you disagree with all these policy ideas. But if your first response, literally, is to scream “Venezuela,” you’re demonstrating both your unscrupulousness and your lack of any serious arguments for your position.” Source: Opinion | The… Continue reading Krugman | The Venezuela Calumny – The New York Times

Opinion | Trump’s Big Libertarian Experiment – The New York Times

the philosophy of the party’s base is, in essence, big government for me but not for thee. Stick it to the bums on welfare, but don’t touch those farm subsidies. Tellingly, the centerpiece of the long G.O.P. jihad against Obamacare was the false claim that it would hurt Medicare. … if you have libertarian leanings… Continue reading Opinion | Trump’s Big Libertarian Experiment – The New York Times

Intellectuals, Politics and Bad Faith

The story itself, although ugly, isn’t that important. But it offers a window into a reality few people, certainly in the news media, are willing to acknowledge: the bad faith that pervades conservative discourse. And yes, I do mean “conservative.” There are dishonest individuals of every political persuasion, but if you’re looking for systematic gaslighting,… Continue reading Intellectuals, Politics and Bad Faith

Unicorns of the Intellectual Right

while there are many conservative economists with appointments at top universities, publications in top journals, and so on, they have no influence on conservative policymaking. What the right wants are charlatans and cranks, in (conservative) Greg Mankiw’s famous phrase. If they use actual economists, they use them the way a drunkard uses a lamppost: for… Continue reading Unicorns of the Intellectual Right