If you ask me, the most dangerous thing in the world is a single semester of economics. Especially if it's taken by a smart kid. The basic idea of market economics is incredibly powerful; it's not the only idea that can completely turn someone around and make her see the world completely differently, but it's one of the best ones, with lots of obvious immediate empirical backup. The problem? Getting the basic idea, but not all complications and caveats. All of which is to say that I highly recommend Brad DeLong's two-part treatise on what Econ 1 students should learn -- as long as you read both parts.
More good stuff:
1. Facts about the filibuster from public-spirited political scientists.
2. Matt Yglesias, very smart about hidden knowledge and the press; Paul Waldmen gets plurality.
3. Excellent NYT story from Eric Lichtblau and Robert Pear about the most undercovered story in politics: writing regulations. Now, dozens more, please?
4. On the economy, Annie Lowery has some good fun with the polls.
5. Some health care: Aaron Carroll updates everyone on health care spending and cost control in Texas.
6. Good to see that Adam Serwer and Andrew Sullivan keep writing about war crimes.
7. Steve Solzar, RIP. I very much enjoyed Steve Kornacki's memories of Solarz and Chuck Shumer.
8. Round up: David Sparks has pretty pictures of American politics history; the Wall Street Journal has pretty pictures of the old, old, Congress; and a discussion (no pictures) of Larry Bartels, Unequal Democracy. Also, Nate Birkhead is more jargony than I like (and the pictures aren't all that pretty), but if you can get past that go to him for interesting speculation on the 112th House.
Monday, December 13, 2010
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I remember Solarz as the most obnoxious supporter of the 1991 Iraq War (aka the Gulf War). Competition for that honor was stiff. He was downright creepy. He looked like a mummy.
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