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Comment by qxfys | Hacker News Reader

I would add Lex Fridman's conversation with Saifedean Ammous. It would at least partially serve this purpose if you don't have that much time. Be aware that Saifedean's view is strong (well, this is obvious considering his book). So, take it with a pinch of salt.

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I encourage readers to skip that interview. It's like you're saying we should learn about how the immune system works from an interview with an anti-vaxxer.

Ammous is (to put it mildly) an ultra-contrarian on a variety of subjects -- central banking, money, and even climate change -- that he has no actual scientific training in.

He claims Bitcoin should replace central banking and that Bitcoin is a hedge against inflation. He doesn't bother to counter the argument that these are opposing goals: a useful currency can't be deflationary.

He was also proven wrong about the whole "Bitcoin is a hedge against inflation" thing when it crashed along with every other speculative asset in the last few months.

As Tom Woods would say: "Only the views listed on this 3x5 index card of respectability are allowed."

Allowed and worth spending time listening to are not same thing.

When people take time to wave you off, it means they’re worried it might persuade you.

No one is allowing or disallowing anything. Commenting on discourse is part of discourse.

If you're so thin-skinned that you think all criticism is an attempt at censorship, then perhaps the internet is not a safe space for you.

Maybe he should have said, "I encourage readers to skip any interview that discusses views not listed on this 3x5 card"

Yes. And while that's a much more reasonable interpretation of what I said, it's still not reasonable. Beware of people who can't make a point without using both sarcasm and a ridiculous straw-man version of whatever offends them.

No one is saying, "Subscribe to only this small subset of opinions on [insert massive topic]." There are lots of interesting contrarians in macroeconomic theory.

What I'm actually saying is, "It's better not to waste time on the opinions of people with an explicit agenda, a poor understanding of the subject, and many beliefs that are easily refuted."

But if someone has time to spare, then by all means, go for it.

> It's like you're saying we should learn about how the immune system works from an interview with an anti-vaxxer.

I think a more relevant comparison is learning how the economy works from a goldbug.

Also, what is it with economics that makes people so susceptible to these contrarian views that have been proven to be bullshit?

I'm not an expert in the field, but I've had an interest in it since I was a teenager. I've read books, I listen to podcasts, I've watched videos, I read the economist. I have an ok understanding of how things work. But I don't delude myself into thinking that I have anywhere near the required knowledge to actually hold a strong opinion on these matters. Yet, so many of these people are convinced that their opinions made up of fringe ideas from YouTube videos are the definitive truth.

Fantastic interview. Don’t listen to haters who paint Ammous as some solitary contrarian.

He’s coming from a 150 year long tradition going through the great Ludwig von Mises back to Menger and the Marginal Revolution. Keynesianism was the wrong turn. It’s a failed school that’s now in its death throes, which is becoming more obvious by the day.

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