Tonight: Contrarian Economist Bryan Caplan
The author of The Case Against Education will appear at the Free Library.
A detail from the cover of The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies.
What’s a contrarian economist? I was wondering that myself when I came across the listing for Bryan Caplan’s appearance at the Free Library tonight (Thursday, January 25). I was imagining something like the Freakonomics people, dispelling little myths and making us all say “huh, that’s weird.” Turns out Caplan’s more of a “uh, that’s weird” kinda guy.
Caplan, a for-real tenured professor at George Mason University, is the author of several books with provocative titles: Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids, The Myth of the Rational Voter and The Case Against Education. And his ideas are bound to raise some eyebrows. Here are some things he has argued:
- Higher education is a “big waste of time and money.”
- America should open its borders.
- More kids = more fun for parents.
- Voters love the status quo, regardless of whether they benefit from it.
- Voters are “human beings at their hysterical, innumerate worst.”
- Voting at all is dumb.
- All politicians are just a bunch of snakes in human costumes.
- Okay I made that last one up.
He also has opinions on cryonics, the rationality of terrorists and why yard waste is garbage and shouldn’t be recycled. Point is, he’s an interesting thinker with interesting ideas. Is he right? I’m sure some other contrarian economist would say no.
Bryan Caplan @ Free Library Parkway Central Branch | Thursday, January 25
