Over the previous decade, I’ve felt just like the world has develop into a lot dumber. Political decay as soon as related to a number of nations resembling Italy and Philippines has unfold nearly in all places. However perhaps that’s simply me getting older and grouchier. Perhaps the world isn’t any dumber than earlier than.
Jonathan Haidt has a thought-provoking essay in The Atlantic entitled:
So it’s not simply me. I’ve a number of reservations with Haidt’s views on social media (as does Matt Yglesias), however the essay is effectively price studying.
When dumb concepts are well-liked, subtle individuals search for deep explanations. Who features and who loses from that dumb coverage? However maybe public alternative fashions with particular curiosity teams don’t present the reply. Maybe it’s simply the stupidity, silly.
This headline from Cause journal caught my eye:
So given a alternative between authorized weed and black market weed, Senator Rubio prefers the latter as a result of it’s laced with fentanyl. That’s looks as if a fairly punitive perspective towards drug customers. Sure, they’re breaking the regulation, however do they really should die from a fentanyl overdose?
I think that there’s another interpretation of Rubio’s place, he’s merely confused.
A 3rd risk is that Rubio is just not confused, and that he’s cynically exploiting the ignorance of voters. I’ve met many, many individuals who’ve informed me that legalizing medicine is a nasty thought as a result of the drug commerce could be very violent. Sigh. . . .
However what makes you assume Rubio is just not a type of individuals? Clever individuals typically maintain dumb opinions.
In a earlier put up, I identified that low carbon power sources like photo voltaic, wind, hydropower and nuclear are being held again due to objections by environmentalists. Perhaps they’re merely confused.
Matt Yglesias just lately linked to a survey that has city consultants shaking their heads in disbelief:
There’s additionally a broadly held perception that constructing extra housing makes housing extra unaffordable. As soon as once more, right here’s Yglesias:
What’s the widespread thread in all of this stupidity? Issues usually are not as they appear at first look. It is advisable to analyze a scenario. Right here is how issues appear at first look:
1. The Chernobyl catastrophe damage the atmosphere. Nope, it helped the atmosphere a lot that the realm round Chernobyl is now one in every of Europe’s biggest nature preserves, full of untamed animals.
2. Photo voltaic, wind and hydropower can damage the atmosphere. However the coal-generated electrical energy they exchange hurts the atmosphere rather more.
3. The leafy suburbs of Lengthy Island are higher for the atmosphere than the concrete jungle of Manhattan. Nope, Manhattan homes 2 million individuals utilizing far much less land and power than does Lengthy Island.
4. In cities the place they’re constructing a number of luxurious excessive rises, housing is getting dearer. Sure, however the internet impact of the brand new development is to gradual the speed of enhance in housing costs.
5. The drug commerce includes lots of crime and violence. Sure, however the crime and violence happen exactly as a result of the medicine are unlawful.
The ethical of the story is that unhealthy coverage doesn’t all the time outcome from nefarious particular curiosity teams. In lots of instances, it’s merely a query of stupidity. If Jonathan Haidt is appropriate that the world is getting even stupider, then we would count on much more dumb laws going ahead.
PS. Partial drug legalization doesn’t essentially shrink the unlawful drug commerce. Full legalization does (even with pretty excessive taxes), as we’ve seen with cigarettes.
