tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post6870058450607033057..comments2024-03-18T06:41:03.841-04:00Comments on Facts & other stubborn things: I know it's bad form to do this on his 93rd birthday...Evanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259004160963531720noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-26287449812100741152012-10-03T22:16:05.257-04:002012-10-03T22:16:05.257-04:00Given the focus of the quote, I'm not sure tha...Given the focus of the quote, I'm not sure that's a fair answer to the point made by Buchanan. He clearly was referring to the leader's willingness and ability to implement such a plan. Not the leader's pre-advice knowledge.PrometheeFeuhttp://prometheefeu.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-49419226977137576352012-10-03T12:01:24.451-04:002012-10-03T12:01:24.451-04:00When I said "idealized benevolent despot"...When I said "idealized benevolent despot" I was thinking of the stereotypical omniscient, rational benevolent despot - presumably in no need of such advice.Daniel Kuehnhttp://www.factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-1976204112142009552012-10-03T11:30:54.333-04:002012-10-03T11:30:54.333-04:00"We revamp old theories all the time. Part of..."We revamp old theories all the time. Part of the fun of reading old economics books is the realization that they're not as dated as you might expect."<br /><br />Agreed, Daniel Kuehn. There's a reason why Malthus and Pigou still have intellectual influence years and decades after their passings!Blue Auroranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-90511169204933119332012-10-03T11:14:15.880-04:002012-10-03T11:14:15.880-04:00I don't understand your point about CEAs being...I don't understand your point about CEAs being useless with benevolent despots.<br /><br />Let's imagine the CEA persuades Obama that eliminating the mortgage-interest deduction is the policy most in the public interest. Well, for all we know, that has already happened. It would never go through the legislatures, it would be unpopular (aka never proposed) and a number of special interest groups would kill the bill if it ever made it anywhere. In other words, the CEA's persuasion of the President has absolutely no effect.<br /><br />Compare that to the same situation with a benevolent despot. Well, he's benevolent, so of course he's going to try to implement that policy which he thinks best. And he's a despot, so he will be successful by definition. The CEA has done lots of good.<br /><br />Wise advice is best given to those who can and will implement it. It is wasted on those who can not or will not follow it.PrometheeFeuhttp://prometheefeu.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-69506922921182029412012-10-03T09:18:16.593-04:002012-10-03T09:18:16.593-04:00I genuinely don't get this mentality. Scott Su...I genuinely don't get this mentality. Scott Sumner does it too.<br /><br />I don't understand why you would make something up about someone that admittedly disagrees with you on a lot of other points to make it look like your argument has fewer adherents than it actually does.<br /><br />Why do that?<br /><br />Is it because otherwise you don't feel like you're making a contribution?<br /><br />I think people recognize that Buchanan made a contribution to public choice, and we even recognize that a lot of his views were anticipated far earlier than Keynes and Pigou. Why make things up about others? Wouldn't you be better off saying "see, even the guy that disagrees with me on all these other things agrees with me on this!"Daniel Kuehnhttp://www.factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com