But Wall Street People Are In Fact

As An Economics Professor I Am By Nature Inclined To The View That The Truth Isn't Out There, It's In Here - That Usually You Learn A Lot More By Thinking Really Hard About The Data Than You Do By Sniffing Around For Supposedly Inside Information.

These Days, However, The Main Problem Comes From The Right - From Conservatives Who, Unlike Most Economists, Really Do Think That The Free Market Is Always Right - To Such An Extent That They Refuse To Believe Even The Most Overwhelming Scientific Evidence If It Seems To Suggest A Justification For Government Action.

Republican Candidates Had To Appeal To Their Base, Which Is By And Large Elderly White People Arguing With Empty Chairs.

However, The Fact That An Economist Offers A Theoretical Analysis Does Not And Should Not Automatically Command Respect. What Is Needed Is Some Assurance That The Analysis Is Actually Relevant.

The Federal Government Is Basically An Insurance Company With An Army.