… is from page 43 of Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration – the remarkable illustrated book, forthcoming in October, written by my GMU Econ colleague Bryan Caplan and illustrated by Zach Weinersmith:
The right question to ask is never “Will it be perfect?” But “Will it be better than the alternative?”
DBx: In 1987 or 1988, Charlie Goetz gave a lecture at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus in which he described the economist’s central question – one always to be asked – as this one: “As compared to what?”
Asking this one straightforward question, and answering it honestly and with an open mind, alone avoids much confusion and muddle-headedness.
