Monday 6 July 2009

What’s the cost of a lost reputation? [updated]

ADRIAN SLACK Rather than conceding the errors in their flawed “social costs of alcohol” report (reported here, here, here and here), the alleged economists at BERL are resorting instead to rationalistic nonsense to support the report whose conclusions they were paid to find.  Their alcohol study's lead author, Mr Adrian Slack (whose photo at right, I think, tells you as much as you need to know about how his mind works), begins by arguing that they weren’t paid to study the benefits of alcohol, only the costs -- to do a full cost-benefit study would have cost the client another $135,000 says Mr Slack – and ends by talking palpable nonsense:

    ”So for example someone who murders someone, from the individual’s point of view, Eric would be, I presume, quite comfortable with that.
    The person who decides to murder someone else makes an evaluation of what are the benefits and costs to me of this action? Society says ‘well some people do murder other people’, but society says ‘that’s not good.’”

The argument is as tangled as the grammar.  Perhaps it was something Mr Slack was drinking ?

In response to what BK Drinkwater calls “a pretty damn strong candidate for non sequitur of the year,” Eric Crampton (who co-authored the intellectual destruction of Mr Slack’s work) kicks Slack again while he’s down: Of externalities, elbows, and knowing one from the other.

And Paul Walker also responds to Slack’s rationalistic nonsense, saying in part "I may have had some doubts about what goes on at BERL before now but after reading the National Business Review I really do wonder what goes on inside a BERL economists head.”  He has much, much more as well.

One begins to wonder if someone should commission research on the cost to consultants of a failed reputation. I suspect it would be much greater than $135,000.

UPDATE: Eric Crampton clarifies:

“I wasn't so much trying to kick someone when he's down as put on record that I'm not in favour of murder, lest someone down the track say something like ‘Eric Crampton, who has never rebutted allegations of being pro-murder, also ...’ "

11 comments:

Greig McGill said...

"Adrian, what colour is the sky in your world? "

That about sums it up for me. Nice work Eric, and great stuff PC for keeping it on the radar.

I'd really like to see BERL issue a full refund...

Blair said...

Don't ever get these guys to do your accounts! Geez, imagine! "Oh, we only did your expenditure, if you want us to do your income as well that will cost double". How are these people in paid employment?

Anonymous said...

whose photo at right, I think, tells you as much as you need to know about how his mind works.

That's pretty scummy blogging Peter.

Peter Cresswell said...

I never said I was tasteful. Here you go: I'm not tasteful. :-)

Eric Crampton said...

I wasn't so much trying to kick someone when he's down as put on record that I'm not in favour of murder, lest someone down the track say something like "Eric Crampton, who has never rebutted allegations of being pro-murder, also ..."

:>

Paul Walker said...

"One begins to wonder if someone should commission research on the cost to consultants of a failed reputation."

I just wonder (if and) when BERL will hit back big time to try and restore said reputation. This publicity can't be good for them.

LGM said...

Well he does look like one of those weenies who everyone used to kick around at school. Reckon he's getting another good kicking now. Nothing much changed in life for him then.

LGM

PS OK PC, you're right. He's a dweeby looker who is soft in the head! Quick get the lithium pills!

LGM said...

Well he does look like one of those weenies who everyone used to kick around at school. Reckon he's getting another good kicking now. Nothing much changed in life for him then.

LGM

PS OK PC, you're right. He's a dweeby looker who is soft in the head! Quick get the lithium pills!

kurt said...

LGM, that type of commenting from you that provokes me into wanting to deliver you a storm of punches onto your face. Can we meet up somewhere so I can satisfy my anger because your provocation has no bounds.

Are you up for it or not?

PS : You mock the BERL guy analyst, but please do tell us what do you look like? Do you look like Brad Pitt? If you don't then shut the fuck up, because you're an ugly fucker.

Paul Walker said...

If you want to see the underwhelming reply from BERL, look here.

If thats the best they can do, oh dear, oh, dear.

LGM said...

kurt

As all right thinking people already know, I look better than Brad Pitt.

You asked!

LGM