Essays
Lest we forget: The neglected roots of Europe’s slide to authoritarianism
, 14/03/2013
Europe is being torn apart by a titanic clash between (a) the unstoppable popular rage against misanthropic austerity policies and (b) our elites’ immovable commitment to more austerity. Precisely how this clash will play out no one knows, except of course that the odds do not seem to be on the side of the good. […]
On spontaneous order, Valve, the future of corporations, Hume, Smith, Marx and Hayek: A one hour chat with Russ Roberts on ECONTALK
, 25/02/2013
There is nothing more heartwarming than mutually beneficial exchanges with intellectually curious people with whom one disagrees strongly on some matters while sharing strong views and common concerns on others. Russell Roberts is Professor of Economics at George Mason University, and a Chicago PhD holder. Besides his academic credentials, he is the host of ECONTALK, a […]
Guest post: The Crisis as a repercussion of global imbalances, by Peter Dorman
, 19/02/2013
Peter Dorman wrote this piece in 2009 shortly after the financial implosion and has recently revised it. While I agree with almost all of what he has to say, one comment seems to me pertinent: The global rebalancing which Peter mentions, toward the paper’s end, is (a) uncertain and, to boot, (b) certain, if it happens, […]
A discussion with Evergreen College students on the state of the global economy
, 15/02/2013
Yesterday, 14th February 2013, I spent a wonderful 75 minutes visiting a wonderful class of students at Evergreen College – the inverted commas denoting that I did so from… Austin, using the excellent AV facilities of both Evergreen and the LBJ Graduate School of Public Affairs (thanks are due to the excellent support staff on both ends). […]
"Real lessons from virtual worlds", article by Amie Tsang in the Financial Times
, 14/02/2013
The Financial Times‘ Amie Tsang has just published this article in which she discusses the extent to which digital economies, in particular the ones that evolve within multi-player video games, have the power to elucidate ‘real’ world economic processes. The reader may enjoy reading her article in conjunction with Gabe Newell’s recent talk and, perhaps, […]
More on economics' methodological cul-de-sac: a paper by S. Holland and T.C. Oliveira
, 08/02/2013
Since a couple of recent posts have burdened you with my own musings on the intellectual fraud masquerading as economics (the neoclassical tradition that dominates economic theory and policy), I thought of completing a trifecta with a paper by Stuart Holland and Teresa Carla Oliveira which argues that economics will not evolve unless it recovers some of Smith and […]
The neoclassical economist as playwright
, 05/02/2013
In my previous post I explained that, over the past few weeks, I was frantically putting the finishing touches on a hopelessly academic book that reflects on my personal experiences with neoclassical economics; primarily through the lens of my own work which attempted to engage neoclassical colleagues on labour economics, game theory and political economy. […]
Economic Indeterminacy – the cause of my (relative) silence
, 03/02/2013
Regulars may have noticed that I have gone relative quiet recently. It is true! The reason is that I am struggling to put the finishing touches on an academic book entitled ECONOMIC INDETERMINACY: A personal encounter with the economists’ most peculiar nemesis (to be published by the good people of Routledge). As I have well […]
Gabe Newell on ‘Productivity, Economics, Political Institutions and the Future of Corporations’ – the video link
, 01/02/2013
On 30th January, Gabe Newell gave a talk at the University of Texas, Austin, with the above title. Click here for an abstract and a description of the motivation behind the talk. The video of his talk is now available below:
In memory of Frank Hahn, a rare jewell of a neoclassical economist
, 30/01/2013
Having just received the news of Frank Hahn’s passing, from my friend and colleague Nicholas Theocarakis, I felt the obligation to share Nicholas’s email with all of you. Those of us who knew and worked with Frank Hahn can only second Nicholas’ points. At least I do. Until time permits a long, considered assessment of […]
Why is the 2009 Greek government deficit probed by the courts, again?
, 29/01/2013
Greek judges are, again, moving against Mr Georgiou, the Head of ELSTAT (the revamped Greek national statistics bureau). Why is this happening? And what does it signify?
Gabe Newell on 'Productivity, Economics, Political Institutions and the Future of Corporations': 30th January, University of Texas at Austin
, 28/01/2013
In recent months, as some of you know, I have been working with Gabe Newell (of Valve Corporation) exploring the social economies that have spontaneously emerged within the vast and intriguing communities of video game players. Convinced that students of economics, politics and public policy in general have a great deal to learn from this […]
Taking stock of 2012: Interviewed by Doug Henwood on KFPA
, 09/01/2013
Just before New Year’s Eve, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Doug Henwood once again. As the New Year was approaching fast, our talk, naturally, summed up developments on the Euro Crisis during 2012 and the prospects for 2013. To listen click: Behind the News with Doug Henwood for December 27th 2012 Podcast Contents […]
Up from Here? Panel discussion on 'The Impediments to Recovery' with K. Arrow, R. Gordon, E. Laursen and Y. Varoufakis
, 06/01/2013
On 4th January 2013, in the context of the ASSA-AEA Annual Conference, EPS (Economists for Peace and Security) organised a panel to discuss the ‘Global Crisis and the Impediments to Recovery’. The organisers afforded me the distinct honour of sharing a platform, to discuss our world’s most pressing issues, with Kenneth Arrow and Robert Gordon. […]
Ten highs and ten lows, circa 2012: my intensely biased list
, 26/12/2012
THE HIGHS The definitive discovery of the Higgs boson particle that confirms our capacity to grasp the ways of the universe first through logic and theory and later empirically; a triumph of human reason Mitt Romney’s implosion at the ballot box At last, a decent James Bond flick A piece of graffiti in downtown Athens […]
Will the real economy rebound, following Wall Street's resuscitation? And what of Europe? – Interviewed by El Confidencial
, 20/12/2012
Another Spanish newspaper, El Confidencial, were kind enough to interview me on the global and european crisis, on the occasion of the Global Minotaur‘s Spanish translation-edition. Here is the interview, in English (the actual article will appear in Spanish, of course). Read on…
Taking stock of the Global and Euro Crisis
, 16/12/2012
A Spanish journalist interviewed me on the Spanish language edition of The Global Minotaur. Her questions, however, gave me an opportunity to look retrospectively at the Global Crisis, its Eurozone offshoot and, of course, the worst aspect of the latter, the Greek calamity. In the process, I refer to what I call the ‘death of […]
"We all live under the dark cloud of the same crisis" James Galbraith at Germany’s IG Metall Trades Union Congress, 7th December 2012
, 12/12/2012
There is only one crisis. The various ‘episodes’ of US subprime mortgages, European and American banks, Greek debt, the recession of the Eurozone today, the trials and tribulations of Ireland, etc., all these are part of the very same, deeply interconnected world crisis. Pretending otherwise is fuel that gives this global crisis another lease of life, […]
On Bruno Kreisky’s legacy: A reply by Klaus Kastner, with a rejoinder from me
, 08/12/2012
In yesterday’s post, I asked the question: Why has European social democracy abandoned the legacy of leaders like Kreisky, falling in line with a toxic economics and politics that thinkers like Kreisky would have dismissed in their sleep as pathetic claptrap? My allusion to, and explicit endorsement of, Bruno Kreisky (the late Austrian social democratic […]
At the Kreisky Forum: Why have Europe's social democrats surrendered to the toxic logic of current policies?
, 07/12/2012
On 5th December, I had the great pleasure of addressing a splendid audience at the Kreisky Forum, in Vienna. My theme was, surprise surprise, the European Crisis in its Global Context. Nevertheless, in view of the very special venue (dedicated to the late Chancellor Bruno Kreisky, and delivered in his former home), I was compelled to […]
China after the Global Minotaur
, 27/11/2012
This post follows up from earlier ones entitled Europe after the Global Minotaur and America after the Global Minotaur. These posts are extracts from the forthcoming new edition of The Global Minotaur.
Greece Debt Crisis Continues to Unravel, Offers Strong Lessons for the US: Radio interview
, 13/11/2012
Click here for an interview with Los Angeles area radio station uprisingradio.org in which we discuss the Greek debt crisis and the lessons to be drawn from it for the United States.
The worst enemies of European unity are those who profess to serve it: Address at the CPA Sydney Conference, 2012
, 25/10/2012
Last week, Norman Lamont and I addressed the CPA 2012 Conference in Melbourne. Yesterday we repeated that ‘gig’ in Sydney. Unwilling to deliver the same speech as in Melbourne (which was posted here), I chose to discuss the Euro Crisis from a slightly different angle (with very few overlapping paragraphs). As this was a closed-to-the-public […]
On the Euro-Global Crisis: Four lectures in Australia and one in London, October 2012
, 11/10/2012
During the coming next fortnight, I shall be on a lecture tour of Australia and Britain. The first lecture will be delivered on Monday 15th October in Melbourne, at the Greek Community Centre (which will, fittingly, be demolished soon after!). Then, I shall be speaking at two CPA conferences, together with Lord Lamont (formerly Chancellor of the Exchequer) in […]