Nicholas Kristof over at the NY times says:
Mr. Tetlock called experts such as these the “hedgehogs,” after a famous distinction by the late Sir Isaiah Berlin (my favorite philosopher) between hedgehogs and foxes. Hedgehogs tend to have a focused worldview, an ideological leaning, strong convictions; foxes are more cautious, more centrist, more likely to adjust their views, more pragmatic, more prone to self-doubt, more inclined to see complexity and nuance. And it turns out that while foxes don’t give great sound-bites, they are far more likely to get things right. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/opinion/26Kristof.html?_r=1&th&emc=th)
The article is talking about how the 'experts' can sway the masses into foolish decisions and knee jerk reactions. This economic crisis has showed me that everyone (including myself at times) is more than willing to declare that 'If we would just..." or "Its as simple as..." as the begining of their all encompassing solution. This is just arrogance. I think that the 'foxes' have been ignored for a long time and will finally begin to be heard and listened to in the coming months.
Here is an example of one of those 'foxes': http://www.getamericaworking.org/
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3 comments:
That website doesn't look like a "fox" to me. It claims that its mission is to "research and promulgate innovative solutions to joblessness in America" yet somehow the only solution it's found is to cut payroll tax. Its evidence is based on simplistic international comparisons and it completely ignores any other contributions to unemployment. Sounds like the definition of a "hedgehog" to me.
I see what you mean...I guess what I meant was that that particular organization is an example of ideas that are not presented in the mainstream media. It just seems like the only two solutions that anyone focuses on are 'spending freezes' and 'bailouts'.....
I see one thing that I agree with on this site, which is that payroll taxes are too high and are killing jobs. I have so many problems with everything else mentioned, including the basic premises some of the ideas are built around, that we'd really have to discuss this in person to hash them all out. Just 2 examples:
- A carbon tax would help increase jobs
- ..."Our system of social insurance is one of the biggest success stories of all time"...
Both of these statements are completely absurd and they're just the tip of the iceberg.
The best system I've seen to get rid of not only payroll taxes, but all "corporate" taxes altogether, as well as the IRS itself, is the FairTax. Check out the website www.fairtax.org. You can read the original bill if you'd like: HR 25.
This would release a flood of new investment in and into this country the likes of which we've never seen. America would instantly go from having the 2nd highest corporate tax rate in the world to the lowest. That my friend, would produce some jobs.
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