On the "Minimum Grade"

Yesterday, Don Boudreaux of "Cafe Hayek" posted this satirical piece comparing the minimum wage to a "minimum grade."  Boudreaux paints a (mildly) post-apocalyptic picture of a Fair Academic Standards Act that establishes a minimum grade for students in school. The debate that ensues between "Paul Rand" and "Bernie Franken", among other borderline humorous composite characters on either side of the divide, is one over whether students "deserve" such scores, what the effects will be on education, etc.

Of course, in short, the treatise is to be read "the minimum wage is bad and those who advocate its use don't understand economics", but I was left with another impression. This piece was simply an example of an economist who is totally willing to see past fact and scientific arguments in confirmation of his own (possibly flawed) view of the issue. Arguments of this type are to be expected of comment trolls and sophomoric Randian anarcho-capitalists who read "Anthem" and decide that "government is bad", not PhD-holding economists. Such a gross simplification of this issue is  indicative, to me at least, of a general misunderstanding or intentional misrepresentation of the issue at hand. Additionally, dismissing evidence to the contrary of the neoclassical result as "several studies, by prominent professors of education at Ivy League universities" in a slight undertone of mockery throws out the process of academic discovery that should be the object of any professional economist.

It saddens me to see the confirmation bias in my (future) profession. Of course this itself is a generalization of what are a limited set of observations, but judging from the opinions of many others at the beginning of their career in economics, I'm certainly not alone.

I'm sure plenty of readers of "Cafe Hayek" laughed at such a satirical treatment of the minimum wage issue. I certainly did, though I was laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of his argument.