> There's no specific reason to provide for a transfer of wealth from tall people to short people, it doesn't provide any specific social benefit.

Sure it does. It helps people who are disadvantaged.

It's like giving preferences to middle class black people over lower-class white people.

And this troll wrote a popular economics textbook.

Mankiw's a smart guy, but he's also very much a Republican:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._Gregory_Mankiw

He served under Bush, and as an advisor to Romney. I'm not saying there's something wrong with Republicans, just that at times he tends to be a bit of a "party man".

Lately, his writing has taken a turn that's more along the lines of "sniping at Obama and company", rather than writing anything particularly interesting... sort of like Krugman with Bush.

Anyway, all very much off topic...

That fact in itself confers no legitimacy. In fact, given what I've read about the textbook industry, it does not even imply that his work has been improved by any authorities worthy of respect.