Tag Archives: economy
The Myth of Tax Cuts and Public Spending (A Comment on “It’s still time for an adult conversation about taxes”)
I came across this article by Max Fodor and Michael Laxer a little while ago and thought it interesting enough to comment on it. It looks at the glaring disconnect the voters (and the pandering politicians that chase them) have between taxation and services. Services are great as long as someone else pays for them, preferably […]
Surprise! (Now Pay Up)
Originally posted on Angelus Novus:
One of the first things people ask me when we’re talking about wireless services in Canada is this: why should we care how much cell phones cost? Aren’t they a luxury? Well, the way we’re using our cell phones these days suggests otherwise – more and more Canadians are ditching…
Talks – TEDx: Dan Ariely: What makes us feel good about our work?
I like Dan Ariely. He conducts very interesting experiments that reveal a great deal about why we make the choices we do within the economic context we are in. In this TED talk, he talks about what motivates us to work. Big surprise, it turns out not to just be money: Contrary to conventional wisdom, […]
Oops! – Spreadsheet Error Invalidates Austerity Study
How a student took on two Harvard economists over their pro-austerity study — and won Their study, which found economic growth slows dramatically when a government’s debt exceeds 90% of a country’s annual economic output, has been cited by policymakers around the world as justification for slashing spending. Former U.S. vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, […]
The Invisible Hand: Episode Five – Moral Hazard
“What is a Moral Hazard? To economists, it is a state that exists when people tend to take more risks knowing that someone else will bear the costs.” [The Invisible Hand: Episode Five – Moral Hazard] Couldn’t one say that this is the crux of what is wrong with our fetishism with unbridled capitalism? We […]
The Emporium of Lost Thoughts 