Admissions versus Asians

Whenever I want a clear-cut example of latter-day racial discrimination, I point to elite universities’ treatment of Asians.  As far as I’m concerned, the evidence is overwhelming.  The denials are not only motivated reasoning, but desperate motivated reasoning. Still, this leaves me with a puzzle.  Do I really think that elite admissions officers wake up […]

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Michele Boldrin: Against Intellectual Monopoly (1h19m)

This episode features an interview of research economist Michele Boldrin from 2009 by Russ Roberts, host of Econtalk. Boldrin argues that copyright and patent are used by the politically powerful to maintain monopoly profits. He argues that the incentive effects that have been used to justify copyright and patents are exaggerated–few examples from history suggest that the temporary and not-so-temporary monopoly power from copyright and patents were necessary to induce innovation. Boldrin reviews some of that evidence and talks about the nature of competition.

COVID vs. SIVH

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I would much rather live in a world of rational, selfish voters.  Yes, such people can be callous.  They would be deaf to the grand arguments of The Problem of Political Authority.  Yet they would favor much better policies than the irrational, unselfish voters whose dominate actual polities.  Unselfishness may lead you to “Do your part.”  What good is “doing your part,” though, if you refuse to think straight about what to do?