Values Added: The Whirligig of Time (Glenn Loury & Walter Russell Mead)

[T.G.G.P]

I often see Mead linked by Ilkka Kokkarinen, but I've never read anything worthwhile from him. I also sometimes read Daniel Larison pointing out errors. This diavlog has Loury, so my expectations are higher and the beginning isn't disappointing. I find his reference to the Great Depression as an event that shook Americans out of isolationism strange, the "America First" group was strong enough before Pearl Harbor. Steve Walt (whose book with Mearsheimer is criticized by Mead) makes the realist case for our recent move in east asia. I'm more of a non-interventionist since I don't trust the government to properly implement realism, but I can respect that variety of argument.

I agree with Mead on "shifting" taxes but I found it odd he said "payroll tax", so does that not include the income tax?

I tend to disagree with H.S, particularly on this issue, but I still recommend checking out his response to Bryan Caplan's exposure of the lack of meritocracy in the elite school/firm nexus.

A "psychologically diverse" firm would be one that contains more dumb people. As Roman Hruska pointed out, the mediocre often fail to be represented.

I will disagree with Mead that it's an important subject. There are basically no natural resources in that area, I don't think the population levels are terribly large (less certain about that) and it doesn't have some geographically strategic position. We could just ignore it and be fine.