William Easterly and Laura Freschi post on the Aid Watch blog about British Foreign Aid.  Owen Barder calls them on several 'facts' that they got incorrect, indicating that their argument is thus deeply flawed (especially in the context of one of Easterly's own recent papers).

Anyway, this highlights the value of blogging.  People make a point, others, in the know and with access to the statistics, correct them quickly.  Consequently, our intellectual capital can develop swiftly and improve in accuracy.  What a valuable process!

HT: Chris Blattman