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Favorite Economist?

Paul Krugman	2 votes - 16 %
Adam Smith	1 vote - 8 %
Greg Mankiw	0 votes - 0 %
Karl Marx	1 vote - 8 %
Milton Friedman	0 votes - 0 %
John Maynard Keynes	0 votes - 0 %
Arthur Laffer	0 votes - 0 %
John Kenneth Galbraith	0 votes - 0 %
college gf	2 votes - 16 %
Groucho Marx	2 votes - 16 %
Simon Kuznets	0 votes - 0 %
Hari Seldon	2 votes - 16 %
WIPO	2 votes - 16 %
David Ricardo	0 votes - 0 %

12 Total Votes

Three strikes applied to college graduation | 26 comments (26 topical, 0 hidden)

Hari Seldon was Paul Krugman's favorite by lm (4.00 / 1) #1 Fri May 08, 2009 at 11:35:26 AM EST

Reading the Foundation saga is a large part of the reason Krugman went into economics. It was the closest thing to psychohistory he could find as an undergrad.

But as for economists as economists, David Ricardo is my favorite. Smith and Marx are both close for second place. Most of the complaints about one or the other come more from misinterpretation of what they actually wrote.

Kindness is an act of rebellion.

: I recall reading that about Seldon and Krugman by georgeha (4.00 / 1) #2 Fri May 08, 2009 at 11:42:08 AM EST

maybe I would have considered majoring economics, but I found Macro-E too boring and wishy washy, compared to engineering.

[ Parent ]

Got to see MC Chris last thursday by MartiniPhilosopher (2.00 / 0) #3 Fri May 08, 2009 at 12:18:35 PM EST

in Lawrence. It was a good show, had a lot of fun. The only downside was that Ticketmaster checked the show as "family friendly". I guess that was to get the teens in, but I was disturbed to find that someone brought along a couple of toddlers who ran around during the show.

Whenever I hear one of those aforementioned douche bags pontificate about how dangerous [...] videogames are I get a little stabby. --Wil Wheaton.

: Yeah, the Lilac Festival is family friendly by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #4 Fri May 08, 2009 at 12:21:00 PM EST

so, the risk is I might go real berserk and tear off my "Spock is my Homeboy" tee shirt and accidentally knock over a stroller.

[ Parent ]

I sometimes wish that Paul Krugman by riceowlguy (2.00 / 0) #5 Fri May 08, 2009 at 07:25:59 PM EST

would stay out of politics and stick to economics.

Of course, you can argue that 90% of politics IS economics, and vice versa.

Does he give an economic argument as to why universal health care would be a good thing, or does he just believe that it's something everybody should have by virtue of being born in a Western country?

Comparing longevity and per capita health expenses by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #6 Fri May 08, 2009 at 08:15:25 PM EST

Germany and France pay half what we do, and live a little bit longer.

One example is diabetes, ignoring prevention and amputating feet while on Medicaid is much more expensive than having the government pay for the diabetic to have regular doctor's visits.

[ Parent ]

What's interesting is by Herring (2.00 / 0) #14 Sat May 09, 2009 at 03:50:10 PM EST

The US taxpayer pays out almost as much per capita as the UK taxpayer does.

There are a lot of reasons why healthcare in the US is so expensive though and the fact that the government doesn't over everything is only one small part. (Another would be that if a patient goes into a UK doc with a headache, they will be told to take Ibuprofen and fuck off. If they go into a US doctor, they will get an MRI scan so the doc can't be sued.)

BTW, the French system (which costs far more than the UK system) is in deep shit at the moment. It's always been likely that the conservative Sarkozy would look to trim the huge budget. The current financial climate makes it inevitable.

You can't inspire people with facts
- Small Gods

[ Parent ]

(Comment Deleted) by jxg (2.00 / 0) #18 Sun May 10, 2009 at 01:31:25 AM EST

This comment has been deleted by jxg

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Yes by Herring (2.00 / 0) #19 Sun May 10, 2009 at 04:39:10 AM EST

That would be why the life expectancy in the UK is so much lower than in the US. Except that it's higher (table).

Could it be that doctors in the US are doing loads of unnecessary tests and procedure to 1) cover their arses and 2) because they get paid more for doing more procedures. Whether a test is medically indicated or not doesn't really matter.

You can't inspire people with facts
- Small Gods

[ Parent ]

(Comment Deleted) by jxg (2.00 / 0) #21 Sun May 10, 2009 at 05:31:50 PM EST

This comment has been deleted by jxg

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That is technically not true by Herring (2.00 / 0) #22 Sun May 10, 2009 at 05:52:40 PM EST

You are assuming that a scan (MRI - not the same for x-ray) can't do any harm. That's not actually true. There are a lot of people harmed by having scans - who end up having unnecessary surgical investigations for things that look abnormal on a scan (someone even coined the acronym Victims Of Medical Imaging Technology - google).

The assumption the "more treatment is better treatment" is definitely not correct. Drugs have side effects and risks, surgical procedures have definite risks.

You can't inspire people with facts
- Small Gods

[ Parent ]

(Comment Deleted) by jxg (2.00 / 0) #23 Sun May 10, 2009 at 06:53:12 PM EST

This comment has been deleted by jxg

[ Parent ]

There is a difference between by Herring (2.00 / 0) #24 Sun May 10, 2009 at 07:03:42 PM EST

information and data.

You can't inspire people with facts
- Small Gods

[ Parent ]

: (Comment Deleted) by jxg (2.00 / 0) #25 Sun May 10, 2009 at 07:08:27 PM EST

This comment has been deleted by jxg

[ Parent ]

Economics was originally called Political Economy by lm (2.00 / 0) #10 Sat May 09, 2009 at 09:14:23 AM EST

In both cases the question of what is good is largely (but not entirely) left out in modern discussions. Rather there is only the discussion of what is effective. So in health care, the question boils down to the most effective way to distribute medical care. On one extreme side you've got free market purists. On the other extreme side you've got single payer (and provider) purists. The arguments between those two sides, and the folks in the middle, is one of dollars, cents, market inefficiencies, incentives for productivity and the like. Those are all questions of economics.

The last national politician I can remember making a health care stance over ``because it's the right thing to do'' is George H.W. Bush when he issued an executive order nix some western state's decision to ration care for folks on medicare or medicaid based on whether or not they were likely to live. I'm probably mixing up all the details. It was quite a while ago. But is was kind of interesting to see someone stand up and just say ``doing it this way is wrong.''

Kindness is an act of rebellion.

[ Parent ]

One surprise in the book was that Nixon by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #11 Sat May 09, 2009 at 09:33:51 AM EST

wanted National Health Care. Compared to Reagan and W Bush, he governed as a liberal (see also the EPA).

[ Parent ]

Conservatives.. by infinitera (2.00 / 0) #15 Sat May 09, 2009 at 04:56:22 PM EST

Before "movement conservatism" or whatever its called, actually believed the protection of the population against disease, pollution, tangible enemies, and deviant thoughts was all part of the same platform.

[…] a professional layabout. Which I aspire to be, but am not yet. — CheeseburgerBrown

[ Parent ]

: One of the first creators of a national health by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #16 Sat May 09, 2009 at 10:05:28 PM EST

system was notorious liberal Otto Von Bismarck.

[ Parent ]

There is no way Nixon would survive a primary now by lm (2.00 / 0) #17 Sat May 09, 2009 at 11:10:07 PM EST

But aside from that, what was the reason he supported national health care? Was it simple economics or was it because he thought it was the right thing to do. There is a difference.

Kindness is an act of rebellion.

[ Parent ]

: I have to do some research by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #20 Sun May 10, 2009 at 08:44:10 AM EST

it may be that when the people are taken care of, they're less likely to cause trouble.

[ Parent ]

I love yard sales. by CountSpatula (2.00 / 0) #7 Fri May 08, 2009 at 09:11:14 PM EST

Hell, I was in an improv regarding rummage sales. Nevertheless, years ago I determined that I would not find a CD worth buying, largely because of the poor condition of CDs at yard sales, but also because people decide to sell the biggest piles of crap, in regards to digital music, at a rummage. I stand corrected, in that I found a very well kept copy of "Fashion Nugget" by Cake. Maybe finding the next good CD will take less than 10 years.

--
Organics.
"I've never been more afraid of a diary comment EVAR." - RapidHamster

Funny that you mention Cake by georgeha (4.00 / 1) #8 Fri May 08, 2009 at 09:18:18 PM EST

At this sale I found a Cake CD, as well as the Descendants, Ani, and Flogging Molly.

[ Parent ]

Kick ass. by CountSpatula (4.00 / 1) #9 Fri May 08, 2009 at 09:20:57 PM EST

Quite the collection. Previous to finding this Cake CD, I had found (11 years previously) not one but two Electric Hellfire Club first-release CDs at a yard sale outside Kenosha. (Since then, both discs have been feloniously lifted from my collection.)

--
Organics.
"I've never been more afraid of a diary comment EVAR." - RapidHamster

[ Parent ]

+4; EHC by ammoniacal (4.00 / 1) #13 Sat May 09, 2009 at 03:12:52 PM EST

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

[ Parent ]

: They are indeed the shit. by CountSpatula (2.00 / 0) #26 Fri May 15, 2009 at 10:40:52 AM EST

n/t

--
Organics.
"I've never been more afraid of a diary comment EVAR." - RapidHamster
[ Parent ]

Hernando de soto by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #12 Sat May 09, 2009 at 10:31:56 AM EST

Three strikes applied to college graduation | 26 comments (26 topical, 0 hidden)