I get to be as self-indulgent as I want without wasting anyone's time. Guilt-free solipsism -- excellent!

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Arnold Kling (whose book I've been reading lately) has written a great Open Letter to Paul Krugman which delves into the distinction between what Kling calls Type C arguments (arguments about consequences) and Type M arguments (arguments about motives).

In good Hayakawan fashion, I feel this is an absolutely crucial distinction and the key to cutting through bullshit from both the left and the right. The hallmark of the sophisticated mind is the ability to say "I don't like George but I like this idea he supports" and "I like George but this idea of his is a poor one."

I think Paul Krugman is great, but his widely-heralded "radicalization" of the past couple years has left me cold because he's taken to opining about the motives of the people pushing the right-wing policies he attacks. When he sticks to skewering the illogical and destructive policies of the W administration, he's brilliant.
| posted by Alex at 5:06 PM