tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post3341935369230077154..comments2024-03-27T03:00:27.024-04:00Comments on Facts & other stubborn things: Jonathan Catalan makes an odd claimEvanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259004160963531720noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-68925485419004757002013-08-23T10:47:46.730-04:002013-08-23T10:47:46.730-04:00Let's suppose that there's an epidemic of ...Let's suppose that there's an epidemic of an illness. The illness is curable, but at quite a high cost. So, everyone spends money to cure themselves of the illness, this raises GDP. This is another example of the same kind of problem.<br />Currenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08645195276844244481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-20347522306552910722013-08-22T06:15:01.848-04:002013-08-22T06:15:01.848-04:00You would agree that illness is inevitable in the ...You would agree that illness is inevitable in the sense that peoples' bodies will always break down at some point, right? But you would also agree that illness is not inevitable in the sense that we are able to prevent many illnesses, right?<br /><br />You clarify which you meant in the first comment and I'll tell you whether I agree with you or not.Daniel Kuehnhttp://www.factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-26567968432178240422013-08-21T19:02:10.063-04:002013-08-21T19:02:10.063-04:00I'm not sure you agree, because in your previo...I'm not sure you agree, because in your previous response you said the exact opposite (war is inevitable).Jonathan Finegoldhttp://www.economicthought.net/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-36346189743970401782013-08-21T13:27:18.764-04:002013-08-21T13:27:18.764-04:00Are the global net benefits to war spending compar...Are the global net benefits to war spending comparable to society's net benefits to healthcare spending? My first impression is that there is an intrinsic contraction in that.bpabbotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047791198702983998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-48199074623099996282013-08-21T11:46:55.178-04:002013-08-21T11:46:55.178-04:00Well right, just like I know a lot of illnesses th...Well right, just like I know a lot of illnesses that could have been avoided. If that's all you're saying then yes I agree.<br /><br />But if that's all you're saying then my health care analogy seems to hold just fine.Daniel Kuehnhttp://www.factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-77831483233444050632013-08-21T11:35:26.326-04:002013-08-21T11:35:26.326-04:00You need an edit function. Sorry for the third com...You need an edit function. Sorry for the third comment in a row. Above, I meant, "If wars were inevitable..."Jonathan Finegoldhttp://www.economicthought.net/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-32464556496360395822013-08-21T11:34:43.129-04:002013-08-21T11:34:43.129-04:00And if wars weren't inevitable, we wouldn'...And if wars weren't inevitable, we wouldn't spend so much effort in building institutions to avoid them.Jonathan Finegoldhttp://www.economicthought.net/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-79029635708016381922013-08-21T11:34:09.885-04:002013-08-21T11:34:09.885-04:00I can think of a lot of wars that could have been ...I can think of a lot of wars that could have been avoided. Also, we are clearly better off in the post-WWII environment with no wars between industrialized nations.Jonathan Finegoldhttp://www.economicthought.net/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-36554356901392644582013-08-21T11:29:28.972-04:002013-08-21T11:29:28.972-04:00Meh. They probably are inevitable.
Why would you ...Meh. They probably are inevitable.<br /><br />Why would you think they aren't?Daniel Kuehnhttp://www.factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-9407376452543497032013-08-21T11:25:06.530-04:002013-08-21T11:25:06.530-04:00Um yea, there's disutility in a lot of things....Um yea, there's disutility in a lot of things. The same is true with labor, for example. But things like wars aren't inevitable.Jonathan Finegoldhttp://www.economicthought.net/blog/noreply@blogger.com