or, more to the point, my attempt to point out the errors in their piffle. This very day I have had the post about the spending splurge put on LibCon, yet this very day Fraser Nelson and his SpeakYourBranes crew express their typical determination to ignore commonsense.
UPDATE: they have at least entered my intemperate comment.
Posted by Paul Sagar on February 12, 2010 at 7:32 pm
You mean ‘The spectator ignores mathematics boldly’.
Infinitives. Thou shalt not split infinitives!
Posted by Tom Freeman on February 12, 2010 at 7:34 pm
It’s not an infinitive – there’s no ‘to’!
Posted by freethinkingeconomist on February 12, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Now, you two, I don’t want this place to get a reputation for being all intellectual and that. It may drive the Spectator readers away.
Posted by Tom Freeman on February 13, 2010 at 1:03 am
Sorry.
Anyway: “Over the last decade, Brown increased spending by 16 percent of GDP (see graph below)… Why? What was the rush?”
It amazes me – and by now I know it really ought not – that Fraser can say this, and post the graph showing a massive leap around 2008-09, and not even hint at the possibility that anything noteworthy might have happened around then. No, it’s just Brown’s spendthrift madness.
Posted by freethinkingeconomist on February 13, 2010 at 10:24 am
Yeah – and also no recognition from the Right that we actually GOT something for that spending. As Brown said “We DID fix the roof” – he means the roofs of schools, which do matter. They spin this idea that he somehow spent it onhimself.
We have a regular discussion round my place about how on earth it came to pass that Fraser Nelson assumed the position he has – of informing the uninformed about fiscal truths – when he has not a mathematical bone anywhere near his body.
Posted by Paul Sagar on February 13, 2010 at 2:36 am
Oh God, that’s embarrasing.
You’re right of course, Tom.
Mega fail…
Posted by paulinlancs on February 13, 2010 at 11:13 am
Theres this bloke at the Speccie called Fraser
About whom it’s important to raise a
Question or three
On how he can be
Such a twat that he deserves a quick taser.
Can’t help myself nowadays
Posted by freethinkingeconomist on February 13, 2010 at 3:08 pm
That one alone deserves a prize.
Posted by The Malcolm Turnbull precedent: two Tories give odd reasons for voting Cameron « Freethinking Economist on February 14, 2010 at 3:35 pm
[...] About « The Spectator boldly ignores mathematics [...]