My colleague Sara Burrows has an excellent article today’s Carolina Journal online on the possibility that, by designating several species of fish as game fish, the North Carolina legislature may cause significant damage to the state’s coastal fishing industry and deny fish eaters of the state the possibility of enjoying striped bass, spotted sea trout, and red drum unless they catch it themselves or import it. As an economist what is particularly funny about this article is the conversation between Rep. Darrell McCormick and Sen. Don East, both Republicans. It is a perfect illustration of a quote by the late Professor Murray Rothbard that I have posted on the Locker Room several times before. The conversation between the two is about an “economic analysis” of the law produced by McCormick. Here is the Rothbard quote, which fits both sides of the this conversation to a tee:
It is no crime to be ignorant of economics, it is, after all, a specialized discipline and one that most people consider a ‘dismal science.’ But it is totally irresponsible to have a loud and vociferous opinion on economic subjects while remaining in this state of ignorance.
