[1rudeboy]

The bloggers do a very valuable service by pointing out the failures of policy makers who lived in academia for too long and surrounded themselves with other liberal socialists.

The author simply is reminding you that some want to sell you gold. That's all, and it's certainly not "self-serving."

[misterrob]

“Look at me, I have a PhD therefore I am smarter than other people who write on economics who don’t have one.”

The fact is that there are plenty of PhDs out there who are sadly misguided on economic policy and choose to hide behind their degrees. Telling me that bloggers have an agenda is fine but attacking their motives as “less than pure” serves what purpose? Obama has plenty of PhDs on his side who are shilling for socialism. Who trained these people? Oh yeah, other academics working in bastions of liberal socialism.