These types of interviews aren’t going to help that much becase the average viewer of Jon Stewart is only convinced of a position (i.e., Stewart’s position) if it’s presented humorously.
There’s no way Rand or anyone sympathetic to free market economics can make a case in such a short time – given all of the erroneous pressuppositions many people have about the state vs. the economy.
Honestly I wasnt that impressed with Rand Paul. The interview seemd to just confirm what I always knew: He’s little more than a moderate, less interesting version of his father.
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“People don’t go around proclaiming to know the solutions to questions of astrophysics without having learned the science” - EmperorNeor
Actually they do; they’re called nutjobs.
Only being slightly sarcastic. Stupidity and idiocy pervade all subjects, economics is different because there’s a sizable population - state parasites - that have a vested interest in making sure people believe the nutjobs.
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Astrophysics and Quantum Mechanics don’t affect people’s lifes on a daily basis and not in a way that knowing about it could change how it affects them. But everything politicians promote is economically relevant, and affects people directly, so you need to have an opinion about it, even if you are totally ignorant. Thats why I guess Mises said that economics is the pith of all civilization. And I don’t actually think that most “parasites” recognize what they are doing.
“Astrophysics and Quantum Mechanics don’t affect people’s lifes on a daily basis and not in a way that knowing about it could change how it affects them. But everything politicians promote is economically relevant, and affects people directly, so you need to have an opinion about it, even if you are totally ignorant. Thats why I guess Mises said that economics is the pith of all civilization. And I don’t actually think that most “parasites” recognize what they are doing.” - skylien
Nothing you have said changes my point. Whether government leech A or B knows or understands on the same level as you or I what he’s doing is irrelevant. Because, if he’s too dumb to form his own informed opinion, he’ll go get one and merely parrot that. However you break it down though, at core there has to be a group of people who damn well know what they are doing vis a vi taxation and government and who encourage disinformation and misinformation among the population so as to excuse or justify it. And you don’t need an explicit conspiracy to do so, just a lot of people with similar interests working towards similar ends. Point being physics is only relevant to the point in as much as there is no mass incentive for dis/misinformation, contrasted to economics where there is every reason for a lot of people to lie and mislead about what’s going on.
They say the best trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. The best trick a thief can pull is to convince you he doesn’t steal, say by convincing a lot of people that what he took was really his, or not really yours, or ‘owed’ to him on some level even if it was yours. Or, convincing other people that it was theirs, and you just had it for some reason at the time he took it. And there is the root of any and all leftist rhetoric.
I had never thought of that. He might be one of the only guys who could actually upstage Stewart in his own forum, while at the same time debunking his ideas. Needless to say, Woods will probably never be on the Daily Show.
Yes I agree, there is of course a major incentive mechanism working, and the higher the level the stronger. It was not my intention to disprove it in general. I just wanted to point out why everyone has an opinion about economic affairs, although they are ignorant about it, but at the same time not doing this with Astrophysics. I do not think it is because they are generally (by intention or not) misinformed by politicians, because even if they would hear the truth, this would not change the fact that they had an opinion while still being ignorant and only parroting.