Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
"It is nice to have a fan club," Richard Epstein wrote in an e-mail he sent me this afternoon, which included this link to the comments section of his PBS News Hour. Here's a representative sample of the feedback:
NEVER have I been subjected by the Newshour to the equivalent of a "guest" whose words and manner in my view constituted the equivalent of someone firing at me with a machine gun! If you want a diagnosis, I'd call this man a sociopath.
...Honestly, there should have been a warning prior to this segment: "Some viewers my find the following interview upsetting."
Indeed, I am upset! Upset enough that if this is the type of "guest" you plan to "invite" into my living room, I am DONE with the Newshour!
AnnS
Why oh why can PBS NOT come up with an interviewee who claims that it is great that the Walmart heirs have billions because they won the sperm and uterus sweepstakes and others die for lack of healthcare who is NOT
(1) merely a lawyer. Yep, Epstein is just a layer, a law professor. He is not a sociologist or an economist. He is merely a lawyer who likes to pretned [sic] that he knows about and has had extensive training in economics and social behavior and politics.
(2) someone who has, for over 30 years, expounded rather bizarre theories completely contradicted by realitydinah06
I think News Hour should have more interviews with Libertarians like Mr. Epstein, so that the public is aware of just how skewed their thinking is about economics. Interviews like this will continue to give the OWS movement momentum.
Virginia
Paul Solman's interview with Richard Epstein was infuriating to me. It was particularly insensitive given the Wall St. protests against income inequality. There's simply no justification for the inequality in income in the U.S. today.
Andrew Stephenson
Epstein slavishly adheres to a neoclassical view of economics that has been shown false through models of decreasing utility of wealth and imperfect maximization due to bias and heuristics. It is highly improbably that Gates or Jobs would have done anything different because of different tax rates. They were motivated by innovation, not return. Investors are the same way. The marginal difference between a 15% tax on investment and 25% is not enough to stop investment (the 1990's is case in point).
What's more, Richard Epstein received an e-mail from a PBS viewer who demanded to see his credentials. Richard sent the angry viewer a very civil and courteous response, and attached his "short" resume. (And when Richard calls something "short," well, you know he means no such thing.)
Boy am I glad we have Richard Epstein batting on our team!
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Comments:
Mar '11
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
I wonder how many TV tubes / plasma screens were damaged or destroyed when the PBS viewers saw Richard, unless of course their heads exploded first.
Sep '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Their heads could not explode because they are empty. The comments are very interesting because they show us how diametrically opposed these people are to our point of view. Most of them are emotional as I would expect, its bad that there are rich people when poor people suffer and other such learned exegesis but I'm really unimpressed with the guy who thinks he knows something because he can use big words like heuristics...that's the guy I'd like to get on the mat and drop a couple of elbows on.
May '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Well, these peoples' idea of a "conservative" is David Rodham Gergen.
May '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Richard Epstein's curriculum vitae, list of books, and list of publications, for your perusal.
Jun '11
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Great interview. Beautiful point that taxes hinder production and are squandered and not redistributed effectively.
Aug '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Yeah, he's "only" a lawyer! You can't trust lawyers or law professors to know anything about economics, or how to better the nation!
...hey, wait a second, what was Barack Obama's only private sector job experience, before sliding into politics and telling us all how to spend our money?
Oct '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
So The News Hour makes a conscious attempt to cover both sides of a controversial issue and gets rebuked by their own audience, not based on the validity of his statements but how they made those viewers "feel"? This reminds me of my "awakening." I was sitting in a lecture as a professor made an argument that was a country mile from being politically correct. I sat there thinking to myself "You can't say that" although statistics and science supported the position. Political correctness had stifled reasoning for myself. I feel these viewers are stuck on "You can't say that" and haven't yet examined what Prof. Epstein said.
Jul '11
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
It seems to me that we conservatives really enjoy argument. We believe there are intelligent people who disagree with us, we enjoy the intellectual combat that is wrestling with their ideas, and we don't get angry at the mere expression of such contrary ideas. Who among us doesn't enjoy going over in his or her head why it is we think that Elizabeth Warren's progressive (I would say Hobbesian) conception of the state is mistaken? I'm, frankly, happy that she's brought political theory into the mainstream of late.
On the other side, though--and obviously this is not everyone, and there are surely counterexamples on our side too--they really don't like listening to our actual ideas. They get upset, they yell, they think it abhorrent that someone like Professor Epstein should even have been permitted on NewsHour.
Granted, there are things the other side does that upset me: make straw men out of our arguments, take contradictory positions, demagogue, have insufficient respect for reasonable means in politics (e.g., WI Dems fleeing the state, or OWS not getting permits). But I'm not offended by liberal ideas, I'm actually kind of excited by them.
Thoughts?
Edited on October 28, 2011 at 3:47amMar '11
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Thinking has that effect on people who aren't used to it.
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
This does say a great deal about the audience of The News Hour. Fortunately, every year it gets markedly smaller.
Aug '11
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
The McNeil/Lehrer report was the only news hour my grandfather would watch. I'd like to think that if he were still alive, he would have chosen a different option by now.
Aug '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Professor Epstein, Great interview! Thanks for venturing into the lion's den to present the truth and drive a stake through the heart of the modern liberal ideology of envy.
Jan '11
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Cheers for Richard, of course!
I had to comment on this line: "It was particularly insensitive given the Wall St. protests against income inequality." Heaven forfend that anyone contradict the message of such noble protests!
The good professor exemplifies the measure of one's enemies. It isn't enough to support good; one must also oppose evil. Or make them look silly, which in this case, works just as well.
Dec '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
In WWII the USS Enterprise was in every important sea battle in the pacific. She was the great unstoppable ship. The symbol of American "Victory" at Sea. They called the Enterprise "Big E". Now we've got our own "Big E", Richard Eptstein. Just remember they whine louder the more truth you give them. Make'em yowl Richard.
Aug '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Hey, I paid for that show !
Come to think of it, so did you and you and you and you.
I suggest someone send PBS $3.58, volunteers ?
Which begets this question for the Ricochetti: who has given money to PBS in the past couple years ? Who once gave money to PBS but quit and when did they quit, and what key event caused that departure ? And then there's - who watches anymore ?
Edited on October 28, 2011 at 4:19amJun '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
I like this comment:
The policies that the rich get passed in law allow the rich to access capitol and allows them to siphon off the returns in disproportion ways. Just look at the stock market where they make money whether it goes up or down... It is like clever people in banking who were taking the round off amounts in peoples accounts that they thought could never be detected. Some were finally caught but many never were caught.
Dude, that was the plot of Office Space and Superman III. You're watching too many movies!
Edited on October 28, 2011 at 4:53amSep '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
Congrats to Walmart for winning the "sperm and uterus sweepstakes"! How do you get in the running for that?
Also, i like how that same lady (AnnS) discredits Epstein's economic discourse because he is a lawyer.
Dec '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
The first commenter's description of feeling like she was under fire from a machine gun resonates with me. I had a similar reaction watching the video. Epstein is brilliant, and it's quite an experience witnessing such a display of intellectual prowess and command of the subject matter -- truly impressive. But I came away wondering if it served any purpose. Sure, it gave all of us something to feel good about; our guy kicked some major butt. But did it persuade anyone or advance the cause in any way? I'm not sure it did, and that's something that is on my mind a lot these days.
Oct '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
flownover: Which begets this question for the Ricochetti: who has given money to PBS in the past couple years ? Who once gave money to PBS but quit and when did they quit, and what key event caused that departure ? And then there's - who watches anymore ? ยท Oct 27 at 7:18pm
Edited on Oct 27 at 07:19 pm
I used to support NPR when I lived in the SF Bay Area many years ago. I still listen regularly, mainly to hear what the liberals are talking about. There was no key event, just a realization that my contributiions were underwriting liberal propaganda. Haven't watched for years. PBS Frontline does have some worthwhile documentaries. I recommend the ones about the origins of the financial crises, going back to the Clinton years.
Jun '10
Re: Richard Epstein, Infuriating Liberals the World Over
ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. ha.ha. ha. ha. ha. ha.ha. ha. ha. ha. ha.ha. ha. ha. ha. ha.ha. ha. ha. ha. ha.ha. ha. ha. ha. ha.ha. ha. ha. ha. ha.
This ship's going down!