I Heart Andrew Cassel

If I had to name a person who best captures my economic and political
views, it would be Philadelphia Inquirer business columnist Andrew
Cassel. I've yet to read a column of his that I've disagreed with,
and usually more than once a week not only do I agree with what he's
saying but I give an audible "amen!" (which can be strange when I'm
all by myself reading the paper at 7 in the morning).

To give you a flavor of what's his angle, lately he's argued for a
national gas tax, ridiculed the protesting youth in France, and
predicted the demise of malls. Yesterday, he saluted George Mason
University, not for its improbable run to the Final Four but its
clever economics department, which among other intriguing works has
produced a paper entitled "The Market for Martyrs: An
Economic-Sociological Perspective on Religion and Suicide Bombing,"
which argues that the best way to stop suicide bombings is to curtail
the demand of them, not the supply of them (go to
http://gunston.doit.gmu.edu/liannacc/cesr_web/papers/cesr_research/Iannaccone%20-%20Market%20for%20Martyrs%20-%20IJRR.pdf
to read more).

I can't say I have positive feelings about GMU, seeing as how they
busted my bracket last weekend, but I will take a look at the school's
econ page and related blogs. Thanks once again, Andrew Cassel.