Falsifiability, String Theory, and Policy

An interesting post by Noah Theory vs. Data in economics. This is related to the long-standing debate over falsifiability and science, and this ties into Popper’s demarcation problem: Logically, no number of positive outcomes at the level of experimental testing can confirm a scientific theory, but a single counterexample is logically decisive: it shows the… Continue reading Falsifiability, String Theory, and Policy

Economics Myths, Part 2: America Is In Decline/The Dollar Is Weak

This is part two of the ongoing economics myths series. A common refrain among the media these days is that ‘America is in decline’ or that the ‘dollar is going to become obsolete’. The Economist has jumped onto the dollar-is-doomed bandwagon, with the article The primacy of the US dollar looks unsustainable, which offers no… Continue reading Economics Myths, Part 2: America Is In Decline/The Dollar Is Weak

Economics Myths, Part 1: Budget Surpluses Are Always Good

This is the first post of a multi-part series of common economics misconceptions. Economics may be the ‘gloomy science’, but it also tends to be a counterintuitive one as well. The media, often ignorant about the intricacies of macroeconomics, unwittingly spread these fallacies to the general public, as well as regurgitated by politicians who, like… Continue reading Economics Myths, Part 1: Budget Surpluses Are Always Good

The New Mainstream Media

As I’ve mentioned before, there are three ‘great debates’ raging online now: the debate about economics and automation, the debate over college and whether or not it’s worth it, and the SJW/gamergate one, which is related to the ongoing online implosion of the SJW movement. The SJWs are losing their war on Gamergate that is… Continue reading The New Mainstream Media

Eugenics Summary, and HBD-Based Policy

Concise summary of eugenics by polymath Martin Sewell. The most important passage: Herrnstein and Murray found that when they moved the average IQ down statistically by just 3 points, from 100 to 97, all social problems were exacerbated: the number of women chronically dependent on welfare increased by 7%; illegitimacy increased by 8%; men interviewed… Continue reading Eugenics Summary, and HBD-Based Policy

‘Trickle Up’ Economics; Silicon Valley Technocracy; Neo Liberals

From AVC Trickle Up Economics I would like to propose another approach that I call “trickle up economics” in which we lower the tax and other burdens on the lower and middle class, we invest in educating their children (and them), we make sure they have the skills to get good jobs in the economy… Continue reading ‘Trickle Up’ Economics; Silicon Valley Technocracy; Neo Liberals

The Millennial Mindset – Individualism Over The Collective

From the NYT: The Death of the Party This agrees with my ‘thesis’ that millennials are perhaps smarter and better informed than prior generations, which is why millennials are eschewing socializing for solitary intellectual endeavors such as watching Netflix, reading, STEM, debating economics online, or coding rather than partying. This quote seems to epitomize the… Continue reading The Millennial Mindset – Individualism Over The Collective

Sorry Marx, Capitalism May Not Be Self-Limiting

From the Wall St. Journal: The Middle-Class Squeeze dire forecasts of Karl Marx… The Marxian prophecy may be wrong because of the Pareto Principle, which is that the richest 20% contribute 80% to consumer spending, while the poorest contribute very little. This means that Capitalism may not be as self-limiting as commonly believed by some.… Continue reading Sorry Marx, Capitalism May Not Be Self-Limiting

Bullshit & Success

It’s ironic how the site called ‘Without Bullshit’ posted some bullshit of its own in a recent article,