This is laughable. Economics is politics masquerading as science. I found this exchange particularly amusing:
G.G.: It seems clear that we don’t have a science of economics that will in general provide reliable predictions about the consequences of particular policies. Can we at least expect economists to unite in rejecting political proposals that have no scientific support?
D.H.: Reputable academic economists are united in rejecting the genuinely unfounded economic claims that politicians make. There may not be complete unanimity, because some economists [e.g., Paul Krugman] are ideologues without scientific scruples. Furthermore, as the example of climate change shows, powerful interests can make an overwhelming scientific consensus appear to the public to be a matter of scientific controversy.
The final sentence should be revised as follows: "as the example of climate change shows, powerful interests can make a scientifically controversial topic appear to the public to be a matter of scientific consensus."
