tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post6982335568192636267..comments2024-01-13T18:57:18.243-05:00Comments on Information Processing: Myth of the Rational VoterSteve Hsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428333897272913660noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-11378329365341003952007-12-20T16:12:00.000-05:002007-12-20T16:12:00.000-05:00Interesting discussion... I posted a long take on ...Interesting discussion... I posted a long take on Caplan's book a while back (www.literalmayhem.com). <BR/><BR/>I think you've got it about right with the behavioral economists. They think that humans have a finite optimality function, and that it can be definitively identified. <BR/><BR/>In reality, the "optimality function" for human beings is so wildly erratic (in each of us) and so incrediblyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-9998342934098179552007-07-13T15:12:00.000-04:002007-07-13T15:12:00.000-04:00Bryan Caplan spoke about his book on BBC radio's T...Bryan Caplan spoke about his book on BBC radio's <A HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/thinkingallowed/thinkingallowed_20070502.shtml" REL="nofollow">Thinking Allowed</A> a couple of months back.<BR/>The most recent program features P. J. O'Rourke talking about Adam Smith.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-31633092852560177502007-07-09T14:34:00.000-04:002007-07-09T14:34:00.000-04:00Caplan is hardly the first to observe that "the mo...Caplan is hardly the first to observe that "the mob" is not fit to rule. <BR/><BR/>It is appropriate that the "Federalist" Society -- the legal association which has been populating the bench during "Republican" administrations of late -- chose the name of the abortive party of John Adams. The political trouble with the original Federalists was that the public could never shake the feeling thatSethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16486234948199900568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-7305754921087389892007-07-09T13:03:00.000-04:002007-07-09T13:03:00.000-04:00"I recognize your right to make emotional statemen..."I recognize your right to make emotional statements devoid of facts."<BR/><BR/>Fool. Emotional enough, but factual as well. I do not like like would-be intimidation, which is what conservatives have made a speciality and Bryan Caplan is a master of crazy conservative intimidation.<BR/><BR/>I am not even interested in being clever, now.<BR/><BR/>anneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-59567380498232739062007-07-09T12:59:00.000-04:002007-07-09T12:59:00.000-04:00Not that I care a fig for the inane pretentious co...Not that I care a fig for the inane pretentious comment, becuase I do not, but Bryan Caplan as any brief reading of his work will show in altogether anti-democratic showing the moral sense of a snail. I have made such a comment openly before and will gladly again.<BR/><BR/>I am in no mood to smile at creeps these days; the creeps are too much in political control.<BR/><BR/>Poor emotional baby "Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-27301810877785934072007-07-08T16:51:00.000-04:002007-07-08T16:51:00.000-04:00anne-I recognize your right to make emotional stat...anne-<BR/><BR/>I recognize your right to make emotional statements devoid of facts. With that said, it would be great to address where Caplan is making his reasoning errors. The beauty of economics is that it rests upon reason, logic and data. I encourage you to apply all three to enlighten us on where Caplan is off course. <BR/><BR/>For the record, I think that Caplan correctly sees the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-23190692867992921762007-07-08T14:55:00.000-04:002007-07-08T14:55:00.000-04:00Lastly, physicists might learn to respect other th...Lastly, physicists might learn to respect other than physicists, same for economists, if I catch the absurd quote correctly. Duh.<BR/><BR/>anneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-25631147800579080852007-07-08T14:53:00.000-04:002007-07-08T14:53:00.000-04:00"Precise," I suppose is better. Nonetheless what ..."Precise," I suppose is better. Nonetheless what an awful person, and you ought to understand that.<BR/><BR/>anneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-65650185616588776702007-07-08T14:49:00.000-04:002007-07-08T14:49:00.000-04:00Bryan Caplan is of course a complete moral lunatic...Bryan Caplan is of course a complete moral lunatic with whom I would not wish to be in the same hotel. Other than that, obviously a wonderful "economist." <BR/><BR/>A horrid pretend scholar, and worse person; just to be percise. Yuch.<BR/><BR/>anneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-33711718416069411572007-07-08T13:11:00.000-04:002007-07-08T13:11:00.000-04:00My first visit to your blog. Interesting take on v...My first visit to your blog. Interesting take on voters.<BR/><BR/>A couple of extra points:<BR/><BR/>Based on my own brief foray into politics some years ago (not in the USA), democracy only works because 95% of people are publicly passive about it. They might argue politics around the dinner table, but they don't question and agitate in public, which would clog the whole process. It's like the Martin_Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06872780969179149381noreply@blogger.com