Steve Landsburg

Archive for Steve Landsburg

DeLong Smackdown on Landsburg (and Callahan)

Wow, if you thought we blogging economists were talking past each other in the Cantillon debate, DeLong’s response to Landsburg on this Thomas Nagel issue (about the ability of pure reason to give us knowledge about reality) will knock you on the ground. I don’t even know how to summarize it; it must be seen […]

Quick Thoughts on “Pure Reason” vs. Empiricism

I am going to be brief, but there is still much confusion on this grand philosophical dispute, which started when Brad DeLong, as is his wont, said innocently enough about a renowned philosopher: “Thomas Nagel is not smarter than we are–in fact, he seems to me to be distinctly dumber than anybody who is running […]

Steve Landsburg Thinks the Current Debt Level Is Juuuuust Right

Steve Landsburg and I can have a perfectly civil discussion on theology. He agrees not to mock me (to my face) for thinking a guy can walk on water, and I don’t make fun of him for worshipping irrational numbers. But when it comes to government debt, I think Steve and I might just have […]

A Qualified Defense of Big Bird

Steve Landsburg (over email) did not agree with me that Krugman was wrong in the Great Debt Debate, allowing Ken B. and Gene Callahan to run victory laps. As punishment for this stance, I must now criticize a recent Landsburg blog post. (Sorry Steve but actions have consequences, as you should know by now.) Anyway […]

Shocker! Perhaps the Debt Burden Is Really About Future Taxes…?

Yes I’m being saucy, but Daniel in the comments just wrote this: “I am more curious right now how to take Grant’s point that what changes things is the taxes, not the debt. It only hurts future generations when you change the financing scheme.” Everyone, let’s take a deep breath. Of course that’s what makes […]

Why Dean Baker and Paul Krugman Were Wrong on the Debt Burden for At Least 11 Months

By this point, those of you who have been reading Free Advice should understand exactly what Don Boudreaux and Nick Rowe were saying, when Dean Baker and then Paul Krugman last year first started up the Great Debt Debate. What is still extremely interesting to me personally, is how many economics bloggers have concluded that […]

Quick Clarification on the Great Debt Debate

My trip to NY has messed me up vis-a-vis my “day job” and so I can’t go nuts on the debt debate the way Nick Rowe is (here, here, here, and here). I hope later in the week to offer two more posts, one for the lay reader, and the other for professional economists. It […]

Curb Your Anticipation

Sorry folks, I have to finish grading…I promised my students. With the LibertyFest activities tomorrow (I’m attending, not speaking) I had better knock it out today. In the meantime, let me say the following of my two-front war which will soon open to three: ==> Everyone thinks Steve Landsburg is nuts, but actually his case […]