Nip It In The Bud

Since our Megan McArdle isn't very bright, I will give her a piece of advice: Do not link to your boyfriend's work unless there's an extremely valid reason and you reveal your connection. It is unprofessional. What's that? You don't know why it's unprofessional? Because you are using your employer's property (a web site) for personal gain, to increase your unemployed boyfriend's visibility, perhaps helping him to get a job. You must announce your conflict of interest so the readers know you have an ulterior motive for your actions, that they are wasting the time they set aside to read about economics to give hits to your boyfriend. And the funny thing? They probably wouldn't care. There's no reason to not tell everyone. Either McArdle was trying to deceive her readers for personal gain or she had absolutely no idea that journalists must reveal personal connections to subjects and she isn't smart enough to figure it out for herself. And yet McArdle is given authority and access to the entire nation via The Atlantic, NPR and CNN.

We are facing yet another media problem, the rising of yet another demagogue who is helping poison minds and incite violence when his career should have been crushed in its infancy. McArdle has the same purpose for a different audience, one that fancies itself more important and knowledgeable. But the message is the same: The government is bad and is trying to hurt you. They ignored the reduction in civil rights and fiscal crimes for eight years yet now pretend they are in a panic. These little Goebbels do their little jobs, sowing mistrust and fear, then claim ignorance and innocence when their actions bear fruit and angry, frustrated people start blowing others away.

It is our duty to fight back against people who would destroy us for personal gain. We don't want to be impolite, don't like conflict, don't enjoy dealing with fools and cowards. But it must be done before they get too big and influential.