Comments on: The Wire http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:04:37 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: steve burton http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-431221 steve burton Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:00:15 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-431221 "Vivid?" Sure. But "believeable?" Two words: Omar Little. I mean, c'mon. The most compelling character in the series rivals Baron von Munchhausen for sheer *un*-believability. *The Wire* is lefty romanticism masquerading as gritty realism. It's great fun, but if you take it for anything more than that, you're only making a fool of yourself. “Vivid?” Sure. But “believeable?”

Two words:

Omar Little.

I mean, c’mon. The most compelling character in the series rivals Baron von Munchhausen for sheer *un*-believability.

*The Wire* is lefty romanticism masquerading as gritty realism. It’s great fun, but if you take it for anything more than that, you’re only making a fool of yourself.

]]> By: The Wire, Treme, and Civil Societarianism « Let A Thousand Nations Bloom http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-429822 The Wire, Treme, and Civil Societarianism « Let A Thousand Nations Bloom Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:29:53 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-429822 [...] and make everyone worse off in the process, then you will.  (For libertarianish reactions see Robin Hanson and [...] [...] and make everyone worse off in the process, then you will.  (For libertarianish reactions see Robin Hanson and [...]

]]> By: Tushar http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394761 Tushar Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:44:11 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394761 O_c_d That was terribly dishonest of you. In Season 3, the Republican governor of Maryland did not "cut any funding." The schools were shown as having thrown tens of millions of dollars down the hole, and the newly elected Mayor had to find some way to plug this hole... so he goes to Annapolis to beg the Republican Governor for money. We dont see what happens in this interaction, until Season 4 when Mayor Carcetti's aide tells him he should have taken the money from the Governor, instead of thinking about his chances of running for Governor of Maryland next year. Sorry you lose this one. O_c_d

That was terribly dishonest of you. In Season 3, the Republican governor of Maryland did not “cut any funding.” The schools were shown as having thrown tens of millions of dollars down the hole, and the newly elected Mayor had to find some way to plug this hole… so he goes to Annapolis to beg the Republican Governor for money. We dont see what happens in this interaction, until Season 4 when Mayor Carcetti’s aide tells him he should have taken the money from the Governor, instead of thinking about his chances of running for Governor of Maryland next year. Sorry you lose this one.

]]> By: Oolon_Colluphid_Dem http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394760 Oolon_Colluphid_Dem Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:18:00 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394760 <blockquote> Seinberg, what do you think would happen in an episode where funding went up, if that episode stayed in the character of other episodes? </blockquote> *<b>SPOILERS</b>* Just watch seasons 3 and four. In three a new education program created by liberal academics is having success in transforming inner city youths until the republican governor cuts funding for baltimore. In four, McNulty creates a scenario by which he is able to increase funding for the police department and as funding increases so does the wellbeing of the city. The wire is good drama, especially in that it can create a world so natural that everyone reads in their own political message.

Seinberg, what do you think would happen in an episode where funding went up, if that episode stayed in the character of other episodes?

*SPOILERS*
Just watch seasons 3 and four. In three a new education program created by liberal academics is having success in transforming inner city youths until the republican governor cuts funding for baltimore. In four, McNulty creates a scenario by which he is able to increase funding for the police department and as funding increases so does the wellbeing of the city.

The wire is good drama, especially in that it can create a world so natural that everyone reads in their own political message.

]]> By: David J. Balan http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394759 David J. Balan Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:46:39 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394759 Robin, based only on the quotes above, it's somewhat ambiguous but it seems to me like he's not, or not mostly, talking about the Baltimore city government. For example, he says "Baltimore has had the benefit of your free market for the last twenty five years. You can't tell me you've constructed a viable economic model that has nothing to do with government when one out of every two adult black males is without work in my city." Is the "government" here the Baltimore city government? It's not clear, but it seems like it's not when he goes on to say "The government has been utterly laissez faire, they've let the jobs go to the pacific rim, they are gone, and we've eviscerated the manufacturing class. ..." It doesn't seem likely that he thinks that the Baltimore city government did those things. BTW, does does he really think that the actual Baltimore government is as bad as the one in The Wire (which I've never seen)? Robin, based only on the quotes above, it’s somewhat ambiguous but it seems to me like he’s not, or not mostly, talking about the Baltimore city government. For example, he says “Baltimore has had the benefit of your free market for the last twenty five years. You can’t tell me you’ve constructed a viable economic model that has nothing to do with government when one out of every two adult black males is without work in my city.” Is the “government” here the Baltimore city government? It’s not clear, but it seems like it’s not when he goes on to say “The government has been utterly laissez faire, they’ve let the jobs go to the pacific rim, they are gone, and we’ve eviscerated the manufacturing class. …” It doesn’t seem likely that he thinks that the Baltimore city government did those things.

BTW, does does he really think that the actual Baltimore government is as bad as the one in The Wire (which I’ve never seen)?

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394758 Robin Hanson Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:16:30 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394758 David, it seems that Simon does support "handing over more money to a corrupt city government". David, it seems that Simon does support “handing over more money to a corrupt city government”.

]]> By: David J. Balan http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394757 David J. Balan Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:50:31 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394757 I really don't see the contradiction here. It's perfectly possible to believe that our government and society are badly distorted because of the malign influence of a bunch of rich plutocrats, and at the same time to believe that handing over more money to a corrupt city government is not a good way to solve the problem. I really don’t see the contradiction here. It’s perfectly possible to believe that our government and society are badly distorted because of the malign influence of a bunch of rich plutocrats, and at the same time to believe that handing over more money to a corrupt city government is not a good way to solve the problem.

]]> By: Douglas Knight http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394756 Douglas Knight Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:52:48 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394756 Could it be that he is trying to send the message that his disagreement about policy is not about disagreement about facts? Can anyone name a work that you are sure does this? (I suppose Candide is a related example, where Voltaire pretends to explore Leibniz's model of the world.) Could it be that he is trying to send the message that his disagreement about policy is not about disagreement about facts? Can anyone name a work that you are sure does this?

(I suppose Candide is a related example, where Voltaire pretends to explore Leibniz’s model of the world.)

]]> By: Peiter http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394755 Peiter Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:02:56 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394755 Maybe the reason for the discrepancy between your (Robin Hanson's) and Simon's conclusions and worldviews stems from the fact that the show is so realistic? Presumably you also witness the same real world and find justification and vindication for your different beliefs in the same factual events? If Simon has strived more for a realistic than an ideological show, this might explain that. Maybe the reason for the discrepancy between your (Robin Hanson’s) and Simon’s conclusions and worldviews stems from the fact that the show is so realistic? Presumably you also witness the same real world and find justification and vindication for your different beliefs in the same factual events? If Simon has strived more for a realistic than an ideological show, this might explain that.

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394754 Robin Hanson Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:05:34 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2008/10/the-wire.html#comment-394754 Mark, yes, it might take an whole season to play out a story where things get a lot better. Even so, such a season is rather hard to imagine, while retaining the style and character of previous seasons. Mark, yes, it might take an whole season to play out a story where things get a lot better. Even so, such a season is rather hard to imagine, while retaining the style and character of previous seasons.

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