Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“My regular readers are marvelous people. Though I rarely respond to comments, your feedback is a privilege. Whenever my writings overflow my Bubble and reach a mass audience, however, the feedback tends to be hysterical and childish. The modal comment ignores all my arguments in favor of a cheap ad hominem: ‘You’re funded by the Koch brothers!’ There’s a double insinuation. The first is obvious: No one could sincerely hold my beliefs. The second is subtler: My willingness to say things is highly price-elastic. I can’t help but find the first insinuation insulting. On reflection, however, the second insinuation is barely about me. After all, Conflict of Interest (COI) rules permeate academia, and their core assumption is precisely that humans in general are easily bought.” (09/30/24)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/the-fantasyland-of-conflict-of-interest