Another recommendation for Nick Szabo’s blog. The only online writings I know of about governance and political economy that come close are the blogs of economist Arnold Kling and the eccentric and hyperbolic Mencius Moldbug.
I agree with all these recommendations, and I’d add that these three authors have written some of their best stuff in the course of debating each other. In particular, a good way to get the most out of Moldbug is to read him alongside Nick Szabo’s criticisms that can be found both in UR comments and on Szabo’s own blog. As another gem, the 2008 Moldbug-Kling debate on finance (parts
(1),
(2), (3),
(4), and
(5)) was one of the best and most insightful discussions of economics I’ve ever read.
Hanson’s blog is extremely strong on several subjects, but governance is not IMHO one of them.
I agree. In addition, I must say I’m disappointed with the shallowness of the occasional discussions of governance on LW. Whenever such topics are opened, I see people who otherwise display tremendous smarts and critical skills making not-even-wrong assertions based on a completely naive view of the present system of governance, barely more realistic than the descriptions from civics textbooks.
rhollerith_dot_com:
I agree with all these recommendations, and I’d add that these three authors have written some of their best stuff in the course of debating each other. In particular, a good way to get the most out of Moldbug is to read him alongside Nick Szabo’s criticisms that can be found both in UR comments and on Szabo’s own blog. As another gem, the 2008 Moldbug-Kling debate on finance (parts (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5)) was one of the best and most insightful discussions of economics I’ve ever read.
I agree. In addition, I must say I’m disappointed with the shallowness of the occasional discussions of governance on LW. Whenever such topics are opened, I see people who otherwise display tremendous smarts and critical skills making not-even-wrong assertions based on a completely naive view of the present system of governance, barely more realistic than the descriptions from civics textbooks.