Noah Smith

Archive for Noah Smith

I Took Down My Brad DeLong vs. John Cochrane Post

Well shoot, I still think Brad DeLong was very unfair to John Cochrane when he said that in his Cochrane’s WSJ op ed, Cochrane “draws this curve:” and then posts a curve that DELONG drew, not Cochrane. That’s the upfront, gripping part of the post, and when I first read it, I too was stunned […]

Physicists vs. Economists

I suggested that Noah Smith must be trolling when he argues that the public takes economists more seriously than physicists. Noah retorted in the comments: “I ain’t trollin’! People think physicists are smart, but could a physicist write a book about where to get lunch and get taken seriously?” Now I appreciate a jab at […]

Potpourri

==> Blimey Cow on “there should be a law.” ==> A new Fraser Institute collection (edited by Don Boudreaux) on (the decline of) economic freedom and entrepreneurship in the US. ==> I liked this post by Bryan Caplan, on how “econ melts your brain” (and not in a good way–he doesn’t mean, “It’ll blow your […]

Believing Is Seeing: Noah Smith Reagan Record Edition

Besides my contributions to the rehabilitation of the fine art of karaoke, one of my favorite contributions to humanity is the phrase, “Believing Is Seeing.” (It is self-affirming since many of you probably initially read the post title as, “Seeing Is Believing.”) Today’s example comes from a recent Noah Smith blog post, where Noah wrote: […]

“But Without the State, Who Would Lay the Tracks?”

Radical libertarians who spend a lot of time online (or do I repeat myself?) have developed a joke where they will say in parody, “But who will build the roads?” (Some of the Images in this Google search are funny, but your mileage may vary. Pun intended.) For a more recent example of when I […]

Continuing My Chats With Noah Smith

Since some of you asked, I deliver. An excerpt: Now in all seriousness, Noah is actually a really sharp guy. The problem is that he’s JUST SO SURE the Austrian contribution to recent debates is so absurd, that he doesn’t even try to understand where we’re coming from. He’s like the patronizing police psychologistSilberman interviewing […]

Such Clever Young Boys

…we economics bloggers are. Noah Smith had a slow news day and responded to me on the “brain worms” stuff. Perhaps I’ll respond, only for the sports entertainment angle. In the meantime, Twitter is my new medium:

Getting My Hands Dirty in the Mud With Noah Smith

Here’s my response to Noah Smith. An excerpt: So note the contradiction: On the one hand, mainstream economists ridicule Misesians for their “medieval” approach to economic theory, in which they deduce results logically rather than producing falsifiable propositions. But then these same critics tell the world that the outcome of a CPI movement destroys the […]