Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Readings for today
Krugman and others deconstructing Barro's anti-Keynesianism (it isn't "regular economics"). But IMO they're all too kind on Barro; though Krugman makes the best case he also defends microeconomics as a useful if limited tool. Barro is one of the leading freshwater economists of our time.
Psychologists take a look at people who prefer utilitarian solutions and, surprise surpise, they score higher on antisocial personality traits. But funny, "regular economics" presumes or even preaches that or worse, that we should be out for our own selfish gain (but it's supposed to work out for the best of all, the invisible hand and all, given a whole litany of bad assumptions that Krugman just touches upon).
Psychologists take a look at people who prefer utilitarian solutions and, surprise surpise, they score higher on antisocial personality traits. But funny, "regular economics" presumes or even preaches that or worse, that we should be out for our own selfish gain (but it's supposed to work out for the best of all, the invisible hand and all, given a whole litany of bad assumptions that Krugman just touches upon).
Friday, August 12, 2011
Healthcare Reform Disingenuity
A bit of history.
Firedoglake reported while Obama was speaking out in favor of public option (in September speech to Congress, I remember that one, it was inspiring) his administration was simultaneously turning the screws on the progressive caucus (including Dennis Kucinich) to kill the public option so the administration could honor a deal with hospitals to fill Democratic campaign coffers for 2010.
There's no business like show business.
Firedoglake reported while Obama was speaking out in favor of public option (in September speech to Congress, I remember that one, it was inspiring) his administration was simultaneously turning the screws on the progressive caucus (including Dennis Kucinich) to kill the public option so the administration could honor a deal with hospitals to fill Democratic campaign coffers for 2010.
There's no business like show business.
New name for human species
Homo Sapiens? The wise? I've even heard it said the technical name is even Homo Sapiens Sapiens (the wisest of the wise). I think a more accurate name would be:
Homo Insapiens Plerumque
Unwise mostly.
Other choice for Insapiens is Insipiens (foolish).
Not really having Latin training, I'm being pretty foolish myself to try to do this. I'm using:
English-to-Latin Translator.
Latin-to-English Translator.
Homo Insapiens Plerumque
Unwise mostly.
Other choice for Insapiens is Insipiens (foolish).
Not really having Latin training, I'm being pretty foolish myself to try to do this. I'm using:
English-to-Latin Translator.
Latin-to-English Translator.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
IS-LM model
I don't particularly like the politics of this one, by Nouriel Robini, but it is an excellent description of the IS-LM model by Hicks which even Krugman admires. (Hicks himself somewhat moved away from it in his later years, and said it didn't really capture the essence of Keynesian economics, which is really about instability rather than equilibrium.) The Wikipedia dscriptions of LM is terrible, this one gets very detailed.
http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~nroubini/NOTES/CHAP9.HTM
http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~nroubini/NOTES/CHAP9.HTM
From a failed growth economy to a Steady-State Economy
This is one great analysis of what we need as our new economic model and why, by Herman Daly. Packed with interesting analysis, very radical recommendations, politically unimaginable, and yet, maybe not even radical enough (it's still capitalism after all, but very different from our current market liberalism model).
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/5464
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/5464
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