As this post proves, it would be a real improvement if the Washington Post let Sebastian Mallaby go pursue other projects and instead hired Ryan Avent to write about the intersection of economics, environmental policy, and urban planning. It would not only be new blood, but it would actually suggest some awareness of the current problems facing our country. This is, in fact, one of the things I can't figure out about op-ed pages: They're completely disconnected from current events. You might imagine that as new, major events emerge, experts would be brought on to provide regular, informative commentary for their duration. So when we invaded Iraq, newspapers across the country would scour foreign bureaus and top international relations departments for Middle East experts who could follow the Iraq War in-depth until it ended. When the housing bubble collapsed, op-ed editors would rush to hire Dean Baker and other economists who accurately predicted the implosion and could guide readers through the aftermath. But no! The op-ed pages hum right along, hoping that the generalists they've already hired will see fit to do a bit of reading and occasionally parachute into the country's current problems. It's really weird.
