tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29524018.post7246380941567721040..comments2024-01-22T19:10:23.007-05:00Comments on A Commonplace Book: A False Argument Against Reasonable Carbon TaxesWill McLeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14685409952186547597noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29524018.post-49852951399508949922007-04-01T17:13:00.000-05:002007-04-01T17:13:00.000-05:00Maybe the good ones don't get quoted as much in th...Maybe the good ones don't get quoted as much in the news, then. I keep seeing economists decrying the falling birth rate in Western countries: they see it as a big economic problem, I see it as a hopeful sign. <BR/><BR/>Economists rarely acknowledge the limits of economic theory, so they are often seen espousing the idea that we needn't worry about Peak Oil because supply-demand theory says it will all work itself out.<BR/><BR/>I admit to being harsh on economists. As a friend of mine says: That invisible hand always seems to be in my wallet or around my neck.<BR/><BR/>Cariadoc is indeed smart and clever, and can be fun to hang with. Everybody dislikes governments; but I accept the need for <I>governance</I>, which is what Dr. Friedman seems to dislike.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29524018.post-76340644583448866392007-03-27T11:49:00.000-05:002007-03-27T11:49:00.000-05:00Retired:I think you're being a bit unfair to econo...Retired:<BR/><BR/>I think you're being a bit unfair to economists. Good ones seem to be generally capable of taking broader and more humanitarian view than you seem to suggest.<BR/><BR/>David Friedman is a smart man with some unfortunate blind spots, one of which is an inordinate dislike of governments.Will McLeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14685409952186547597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29524018.post-38965981631359759062007-03-25T18:07:00.000-05:002007-03-25T18:07:00.000-05:00Part of Dr. Friedman's problem here is that he is ...Part of Dr. Friedman's problem here is that he is an economist - and economists tend to think the rules of economics apply to <I>everything,</I> or that anything not included in economic theories can be safely neglected. So if Bangladesh doesn't have much economic importance, it can be allowed to founder without much economic consequence.<BR/><BR/>But the arguments you quoted aren't even based on economics - there is no mention of the cost of the do-nothing alternative, or an economic cost/benefit analysis on various possible approaches. Instead it is a logical fallacy (the "slippery slope") followed by a Libertarian political rant: don't nobody tell me what to do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com