I don’t know about “intellectual”, but I do know that more people should read Neo’s stuff, like I do. Plus, I love her style. She keeps writing fine posts while I’m busy with life AND with Arnold Kling’s Fantasy Intellectual Teams.
Epistemology is social. We decide what to believe by deciding who to believe. When we believe the wrong people, bad things happen. … some (much?) of the loss of trust in news media and other important institutions is due to a general suspicion that the wrong people have achieved high status within those institutions.
So we will choose teams, and I’ll soon blog about my ideas more. But for “bloggers”, one is Neo.
My comment on ASKblog:
** This FIT is a fine idea, with so many great folk up above. Tho it’s missing one of my two favorite bloggers:
https://www.thenewneo.com/ (the other has self-disqualified).
However, I don’t think intellectual status is the key issue for solving current problems. There are two key issues:
TRUTH and POWER.
Most of the above noted seem to be looking for Truth – as am I. However, as has been noted here with ASK, many folk are able to believe in untruths. Often it seems the more intelligent folk are more able to believe is some untruths – “rationalization” describes the process such smart folk use when they’re actually being “useful idiots”.
Insofar as truth is useful for gaining and holding power, it has status with those wanting power. If lies or exaggerations are more useful, they will be used and their use will be rationalized. And those more successful will gain more status.
Neo is looking for truth, and trying to write in a way that might change somebody’s mind. She has a great blog series on how A Mind is a Difficult Thing to Change.
As well as more current stuff.
Communicating in a way that changes minds is of huge importance.
Blogging was better than twitter for truth, but twitter is better for power.
New for me Gray Mirror – Curtis Yavin (aka Mencius Moldbug)
Another “blogger” would be our own commenter Handel, who very seldom but sometimes blogs at HandlesHaus. (Not to be confused with the Estonia cryptocurrency advisors at HandelsHaus with a different site.) Great review of Dreher’s <i>Live Not By Lies</i> there.
On ASKblog, Handle argues, persuasively, that much of Levin can be read as a veiled argument for elGOP push for “No More Like Trump”.
** Great comments above by Handle are why I’d have him, Handle, as a hugely underappreciated “intellectual”.
Really – I always read and usually, but not always, agree with his points AND think they are insightful plus seldom articulated by others.
But his blog is not as robust as his comments here – http://handleshaus.com/
(if you search for it, you might see an Estonia cryptocurrency consultantcy)
And I wouldn’t want him disqualified from being on a team when he’s a potential draft/ auction (auction better!) member.
What if David Henderson (possible) or Tyler Cowen (hmm?) wanted to play? Would they still be eligible to be picks? I’d say yes.
Actually, as a way to get my favorite Econ blogger more exposure – I’d suggest Arnold suggest to all those who are listed that they consider playing, too. Leading to issues of having one team, which you gain with exclusive picks, but also having a single All-Star set of picks which is not exclusive. And, in December 2021 or when the final score per team member is tallied, there would be a single Maximum Score of the “ideal All-Star team”.
Gamification of supporting intellectuals is a great idea. Like War Strategy.
Scoring criteria is a huge bear. Like War Logistics.
— Gurri & Levin were on Pairagraph, which has a couple of personalities talking briefly. I like it. Megan McArdle & David Corn on the Future of Journalism. There’s some talk about disinformation, but no mention of 2 years of Russian Collusion Hoax. At least Megan was willing to note Dan Rather’s Fake news, not only about Bush, but also in 1988 about Vietnam War Veterans. For those who look, there is a lot of info. But who to believe?
Tom Grey - Families, Freedom, Responsibility 