Do you think this is controversial (within LW)? Given the average karma gain of similar comments and general lack of expressed disagreement, controversiality doesn’t seem to be a reasonable hypothesis.
By “controversial,” I don’t mean that it will provoke hostility, or even widespread disagreement here. I’m just making it known that I’m aware that this opinion is a matter of significant disagreement in the general public, with otherwise smart and reasonable people taking different sides. Also that I don’t expect people to accept my claims based on a comment that provides no supporting arguments and uses them only for illustrative purposes.
(The above also holds for the text below.)
This comment of yours was more specific than the grand-parent, but still: what are the actual delusions and pseudoscience in modern economics, what are GC’s ideological delusions, what sort of disaster is likely to result from them? Of course I can imagine plausible answers, but not unique answers.
Clearly, these would be topics suitable for long books, not short blog comments!
But to give you some idea of what I’m talking about, my criticism of economics would be roughly along the lines of Hayek’s “Pretence of Knowledge” speech. (My criticism would likely be harsher—to me the pseudoscience seems even more scandalous, the damage done even more extensive, and the threats for the future even more severe.) I also think that the intellectual standards are abysmal, and ideological biases rampant, even in areas that don’t fall under this general criticism.
(Also, to avoid potential confusion due to citing Hayek, I am not a principled libertarian in any way. My concern is with irresponsible, corrupt, and destructive government, and with all the ideology and pseudoscience that motivate and excuse it.)
By “controversial,” I don’t mean that it will provoke hostility, or even widespread disagreement here. I’m just making it known that I’m aware that this opinion is a matter of significant disagreement in the general public, with otherwise smart and reasonable people taking different sides. Also that I don’t expect people to accept my claims based on a comment that provides no supporting arguments and uses them only for illustrative purposes.
(The above also holds for the text below.)
Clearly, these would be topics suitable for long books, not short blog comments!
But to give you some idea of what I’m talking about, my criticism of economics would be roughly along the lines of Hayek’s “Pretence of Knowledge” speech. (My criticism would likely be harsher—to me the pseudoscience seems even more scandalous, the damage done even more extensive, and the threats for the future even more severe.) I also think that the intellectual standards are abysmal, and ideological biases rampant, even in areas that don’t fall under this general criticism.
(Also, to avoid potential confusion due to citing Hayek, I am not a principled libertarian in any way. My concern is with irresponsible, corrupt, and destructive government, and with all the ideology and pseudoscience that motivate and excuse it.)