Missing Links

We are very behind in our coverage of Megan McArdle with no hope of catching up, but there are a few interesting things to observe in passing. We'll add the links throughout the day as we have time.

McArdle has several posts tittering at global warming, for she "would like to think that we have been overstating the degree to which anthropogenic factors have influenced global warming trends." That ends the issue for McArdle, for she simply believes whatever she wants to believe. It's easy when you have the conservative habit of going to "experts" to analyze data instead of looking at the data itself. McArdle talks to bankers, she does not read reports and statistics. She believes what they tell her, repeats what they said to her audience, and gets a paycheck in return. It's win-win.

McArdle notes that a pro-insurance reform economist did not disclose that he has been a consultant for the Obama administration. She does not note that he advised Mitt Romney but perhaps she simply did no research on the man at all, and did not act out of malice or profit motive. McArdle emails the source of her story but not the subject, oddly enough. Maybe it didn't occur to her to try to contact the subject of her story. Or maybe it was too hard.

'[I]t would be nice if we could figure out something to do," about failed mortgages, Miss McArdle sighs. Plus ca change, etc.

Conventional wisdom was wrong about the housing bubble, McArdle reports, not mentioning that "they" included "her." "Somehow, everyone got stupid all at once," McArdle said, mistaking personal experience for universal experience. She does not mention greed, that thing that makes people want more money, as a possible motivation for people stealing money. They were all just spontaneous stupid, despite the fact that they are also the elite who must be paid millions to do their risky, difficult jobs.

There are a few deeply dishonest posts in which McArdle tries to replace the word "regulation" with "patrimony." It's no wonder she's so fascinating. Orwell himself would be taking notes.