Explaining Hilary

Megan McCardle goes a long way in explaining Hilary for me. One of the things I object to is academic high mindedness about the relationship of pharmaceutical companies to doctors. In part this is, for me, about profitable interchange of ideas that may occur at dinners to promote a product. For instance I learned more about the physiology of pain at a talk on Neurontin. Or it may just be about things that make life a little easier or more fun. For instance I weigh patient's on an Equetro branded scale. I didn't know about the type of scale it is an example of. These things are now not apparently permissible. Many politicians know this but there are obviously strains of 'reform' that oppose their existence, similarly in campaign finance and across the spectrum of social interaction. These reforms are to keep the big players from influencing what happens to the 'little people.' Now Hilary is in the camp that is for the little people and so she speaks as a lawyer for that point of view. She however knows otherwise and doesn't apply it to herself, think cattle futures, think Bill's sexual affairs, think debt forgiveness in Whitewater, emails. De nada as a new constituency would say but it doesn't mean not being a lawyer for 'reform,' 'transparency,' FOIA requests requests, all things important to a part of her base.

Greg Mankiw, Chairman of Harvard's Economics Department, Favors the Abolition of the Estate Tax

Here. My own view of it is that it is a burden on high middle earners and their offspring. Given that you have enough funds, you can engage in estate planing and work to avoid the tax like people used to avoid income taxes, not so inclined or having the time, the estate gets taxed. That would tend to fall on people who are not primarily significant financiers.

Baltimore

I think the facts of The Freddie Gray case, the false arrest, the brutal ride in the paddy wagon are a surprise to most white Americans. The fact that police authority in this case has been subject to a flanking attack by a Pennsylvania state attorney will open up more hope to black people and together these events are the most positive for interracial comity in many years. We love you, poor Freddie.