Thanks, Mom and Dad

by rrusczyk, May 15, 2009, 7:52 PM

This isn't the article I was referring to in the last post, but it does corroborate my observation that America's shift to a freer meritocracy is a partial explanation for increasing income inequality.

economics

heredity

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As I noted on your other post, I immediately mistrust Reason. They really need to cite their twin and adoption studies so we know exactly what they do and don't show.

by worthawholebean, May 18, 2009, 1:23 AM

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Of course you do, your politics are exactly opposite theirs!

by rrusczyk, May 18, 2009, 4:11 PM

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I should add that I share your frustration that their shorter pieces aren't as thoroughly fleshed out as they should be. (I have this complaint about a great many blogs, too.) The article I referred to in the previous post was one of their long pieces, and the parts of it that did have data were the parts that were convincing. The pop-sociology about the 50s, as I noted, was entirely unconvincing.

by rrusczyk, May 18, 2009, 4:21 PM

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I don't think my politics are exactly opposite theirs. Fundamentally, I think that a market system is one of the better ways of allocating resources. However, we have to be really careful to make sure it doesn't crush those who have disadvantages; that is my problem with any extreme free-market ideology as is the one Reason seems to espouse.

Often, I see in communities like Reason that because of a lack of competing opinion, people become more and more frustrated and more and more extreme as they feed off each other's similar opinions. When I look at their site, I see a lot of the same name-calling and mindless partisanship that I see from Rush Limbaugh (as well as many popular figures on the left). It really just isn't productive. The AP English Language exam last week actually had a really good assignment on this topic (it's on page 12).

by worthawholebean, May 18, 2009, 8:32 PM

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I'm guessing you're referring to the comments and such, rather than to the content of the magazine. I don't find the magazine or RSS feed fits your description (though I do think die-hard libertarians do often exhibit an off-putting religious zeal that does their cause far more harm than good). I don't read the comments -- they're just as you describe them on almost every blog.

Unlike the commenters on my blog, most blog commenters become fire-breathing idiots once they start typing. I have to fight that urge myself sometimes

On a related note, I think AoPS is one of the most functional online communities I've ever seen. I'm not sure what to ascribe that to.

by rrusczyk, May 18, 2009, 11:36 PM

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It may be that I've only seen the online version, but I see that sort of thing in the stories too. See an article which is just a bunch of stereotypes in a row or another similar one. Note the pigeonholing of the "other side," the liberals who supposedly all listen to NPR, shop at Whole Foods, and hate the evil Republicans.

I agree about AoPS, for the most part. There a few crazy people, but otherwise I enjoy it here.

by worthawholebean, May 19, 2009, 12:59 AM

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Show me a news source that doesn't engage in some oversimplification to make its point or to get people to read past the first paragraph. I looked through the Toys article. I agree that the snarky comments here and there add nothing, but read the whole article. After that lede, there's a real article there about how the caricatures of the left are actually joining with the evil Republicans to fight unnecessary (unless you're a big company wanting to block competition) government intervention.

Also, as far as I can tell, the folks at reason hate the evil Republicans, too. That's one of their endearing qualities.

by rrusczyk, May 19, 2009, 12:35 PM