\nHarvard-educated Matt Yglesias obviously skipped classes on Public Choice<\/a> (which explains a lot about his views, actually):<\/p>\n At the same time, I’ve come to be increasingly baffled by the high degree cynicism and immorality<\/i> displayed in big-time politics. For example, Senators who genuinely do believe that carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to a global climate crisis seem to think nothing of nevertheless taking actions that endanger the welfare of billions of people on the grounds that acting otherwise would be politically problematic in their state. In other words, they don’t want to do the right thing because their self-interest points them toward doing something bad. But it’s impossible to imagine these same Senators stabbing a homeless person in a dark DC alley to steal his shoes. And what’s more, the entire political class would be (rightly!) shocked and appalled<\/i> by the specter of a Senator murdering someone for personal gain. Yet it’s actually taken for granted that “my selfish desires dictate that I do x” constitutes a legitimate reason to do the wrong thing on important legislation.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I just happen to have a copy of James Buchanan’s collected works ‘Politics as Public Choice<\/a>‘ on the shelf…Matt, just click the link and buy the book – it’ll open your eyes to all kinds of things.<\/p>\n