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You can consider his intellectual contributions as if it were an independent sample of ideas, but I think of Cowan, and the Mercatus center more like giant corp
by dv_dt 8y ago
You can consider his intellectual contributions as if it were an independent sample of ideas, but I think of Cowan, and the Mercatus center more like giant corporate PR centers. There is basically massive funding making the ideas of Koch seem reasonable and commonplace. This by both repetition from seeming independent sources as well as control of academic sources of information.
There isn't nearly the kind of vast funding, and certainty not focused as the Koch funding is to generate ideas and support for more social constructs and support of ideas in the direction of maybe the market really shouldn't determine everything - or at least markets where there is massive asymmetry between participants.
- drcode 8y agoI agree that disentangling personal financial incentives in the intellectual space of ideas is probably the largest challenge of our generation- I certainly don't have any good answers for how we can prevent PR efforts from shaping our personal opinions. That said, there are lots of good insights to be had by studying economists with a libertarian bent, and I frankly have a hard time finding any economic writing based on a different economic tradition that is very compelling - Some of the writing of Jaron Lanier is pretty good, but he's not an economist. (I guess lots of folks like Thomas Piketty, but I have a hard time personally getting much insight out of his work, for whatever reason.)
- davidw 8y ago> there are lots of good insights to be had by studying economists with a libertarian bent I actually get a lot of insight when economists go against their political 'tribe'. Paul Krugman on cheap labor, for instance: http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_dismal_science/1997/03/in_praise_of_cheap_labor.html http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_dismal_science/19... Or Greg Mankiw writing in favor of a carbon tax. That's not to say they're wrong when, say, the libertarian economist argues against some regulation, or someone like Krugman argues for it, just that it's more 'the usual'.
- icebraining 8y agoCan you provide some examples of what you consider to be Cowen pushing the ideas of the Koch brothers?
- frgtpsswrdlame 8y agoWhat would count as proof to you?
- icebraining 8y agoI didn't write proof...?
- dv_dt 8y agoFrom my understanding, we could go around and take apart specifics, but it's more the overarching philosophy of the center, and Cowan as its latest directory to systematically disassemble the power of government. I think the best assembly of linkages between Koch and various foundations and entities and how they're linked the that philosophy is the book "Democracy in Chains", by Nancy MacLean. This book is not without controversy, but much of the criticism is generated from the very same network of entities that is criticized by the book. https://www.chronicle.com/article/A-New-History-of-the-Right-Has/240700 https://www.chronicle.com/article/A-New-History-of-the-Right... If the book is too long, I might at least listen to this interview of the author. https://www.blubrry.com/jacobin/34546244/the-dig-democracy-in-chains-with-nancy-maclean/ https://www.blubrry.com/jacobin/34546244/the-dig-democracy-i...