On Confessions and Proof.

I'm no fan of Noah Smith. I seldom visit his blog, so I rarely read him. In fact, if memory serves, only twice did I read him from beginning to end.

The first time, some years ago, it was an unbelievably god-awful post on Marx, Ayn Rand and their Jewish heritage (and yes, Will, before you object, I know about Smith's ancestry: link). And, trust me on this, "unbelievably god-awful" is a deliberate understatement (take into account that I am no Rand fan, either).

Thankfully, Smith apparently had the good sense of deleting it from his blog… Anyway, it was more than enough to put me off for good. But enough said.

After that experience, a few days ago I read another of his writings. It's a long story and you'll forgive me if I don't go into details. In my defence I can say it was by accident and mercifully, it was a brief text:

(source)

To my surprise, I didn't regret reading that message: it was interesting and useful, even if Smith, always the comedian, did not intend it.

Like that unforgettable first one, this message is about Marx and Rand, only now Mises joins them (Smith hits 3 out of 3: perfect score): there is something about these 3 guys, in Smith's mind, that makes them legitimate targets for ridicule and that something is not what they say or think…

After that confession, there is no need for further proof, so I rest my case: link.

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PS. Don't worry, Noah, for some reason I feel no need to ridicule you.