Posted on 06/07/2010 9:14:33 PM PDT by Let's Roll
Who is better informed about the policy choices facing the country—liberals, conservatives or libertarians? According to a Zogby International survey that I write about in the May issue of Econ Journal Watch, the answer is unequivocal: The left flunks Econ 101.
Zogby researcher Zeljka Buturovic and I considered the 4,835 respondents' (all American adults) answers to eight survey questions about basic economics. We also asked the respondents about their political leanings: progressive/very liberal; liberal; moderate; conservative; very conservative; and libertarian.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
No 5th graders voted for Barry...
Yep thats smart
:)
No surprise that they don’t understand basic economics but libs REALLY don’t understand the most basic of economics like what causes shortages and what is a monopoly.
This is why we’re in so much trouble today because as the author says, “Realizing that many of our leaders and their constituents are economically unenlightened sheds light on the troubles that surround us.”
We also asked the respondents about their political
leanings: progressive/very liberal; liberal; moderate;
conservative; very conservative; and libertarian.
Should be:
We also asked the respondents about their political leanings: progressive/very liberal; liberal; libertarian;
moderate; conservative; very conservative.
My experience is ..... liberals respond to these types of questions with how they think things ought to be rather than realistically. So, for instance, they believe guns should be controlled (banned) and that will make society more tolerant. Never mind that it never happens that way. Concealed carry always leads to less crime. Or taxes should be raised on the wealthy so they will “pay their fair share.” This belief is held regardless of whether the wealthy are already paying far more than other groups and regardless whether past experience shows higher taxes lead to lower net revenues. Liberals always get it wrong.
I am not completely sure this is true. Yes, many of the lefties are demonstrably dumber than pet rocks, but lefties also highly prize dishonesty and obfuscation. Many will answer a question they way a leftie is supposed to answer, even if they know it is untrue, and their "special" consciences will conclude that they are more noble for their ability to feel good about themselves for doing it.
Lefties in America, like their Communist and Jihadi brethren, see lying for the cause as honorable and just.
If the survey had been about empirically support for views bearing on so-called social issues your ordering would make sense. Since it was a survey about economic issues, the ordering given, in which libertarians are further from “progressives” than conservatives makes sense: libertarians are more doctrinaire in their insistence on free-market principles (cf. rows on FR over drug policy).
I would say the left responded responded more with how they wished or felt thing are.
How can anybody trust libertarians when their favorite
“son” loads up legislation that he knows will pass and
gives out the pork while giggling “I voted against it.”?
Also, it could be argued that licensing does not necessarily equate with increased costs for services. Many service industries offer credentialing for their members to distinguish them from the rest of the pack (I know my stuff, this other clown doesn't). I would rather pay $125 an hour to someone who has proven they aren't going to screw up my roof or flood out my home making repairs, then $125 to some clown who slapped his name in the Yellow Book.
Does the government have to license every aspect of business? Heck no, people are doing it on their own to remain competitive (good old free market)! Just saying, those two questions could be taken differently, as they were vague. The rest were blatantly obvious.
In my experience liberals swallow their own propoganda, and “feel” it is factual.
They will then have a pet scandal or two to support it. Enron serves as one of their examples of the evil of unregulated businesses.
But it goes beyond feelings, to often a complete lack of education.
Secondary teachers in Calif. have the equivalent of a Masters in Education.
Yet the curriculum requires ZERO economics, finance, accounting or business law classes, undergrad or graduate level.
And such an ill prepared individual will be found teaching history, political science/civics, etc. Filling your kids heads full of mush, derived from hearsay obtained from others like themselves.
I think the basic sabotage of economics is it’s micro and macro divisions right off the bat in high school.
A kid sits down to learn the subject and immediately is confronted with two apparenty different subjects, with apparently different fundamentals.
As a result, the grey zone hits the learning process immediately, and most kids never recover. Of course, they’re also never actually taught the fundamentals - ever. Micro and macro are simply the esoteric divisions used to cover the fact that they aren’t being taught the fundamentals.
It’s a calculated sabotage of the learning process for the single most important political subject besides the doctrine of negative rights - which, btw, is also glossed over in favor of administrative privilege concepts.
High school has become the kill zone of the American Mind.
Note how poorly many of most prolific Free Republic posters would score on this economics test.
“”Restrictions on housing development make housing less affordable (unenlightened answer: disagree).
Mandatory licensing of professional services increases the prices of those services (unenlightened answer: disagree).
Overall, the standard of living is higher today than it was 30 years ago (unenlightened answer: disagree).
Rent control leads to housing shortages (unenlightened answer: disagree).
A company with the largest market share is a monopoly (unenlightened answer: agree).
Third World workers working for American companies overseas are being exploited (unenlightened answer: agree).
Free trade leads to unemployment (unenlightened answer: agree).
Minimum wage laws raise unemployment (unenlightened answer: disagree).””
That layout was unfortunate. You must continue to read the clause: "The left flunks Econ 101."
Hey, I got ALL the answers correct. I must be more libertarian leaning... though I consider myself a STRICT CONSTRUCTIONIST, original intent Constitutionist.
(AND one who believes in INDIVIDUAL rights and punishments, not group “rights” and mass punishment. In fact, the LAST time i put up with that was in boot camp and that was the last time I ever WILL put up with it.)
Liberals not only don't understand how the world works, they don't care...they simply want it to work differently by fiat.
First graders in 1950 were probably smarter than today’s fifth graders.
“The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” - Ronald Reagan
That is because liberalism (now progressive) is a mental disorder.
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