There are two possible ways to conduct economic arguments. The first is to accept that one’s opponents are genuine and intelligent, and to attempt to address their arguments as fairly and honestly as possible, even if one ultimately finds them wanting. Some of the greatest economists of the 20th century, from all sides of the ideological spectrum, including John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman, embraced this approach, to great effect.

The second is to heap ridicule on your opponents, assume that they are either nasty, stupid or “economically illiterate”, before deliberately distorting or ignoring what they have to say while carefully cherry-picking the best possible assumptions to feed into your own mathematical models to generate your favourite conclusions.

Forget about trying to be scientific to get to the truth, or having a civil debate: the only thing that matters is winning at any cost.