Potpourri

Archive for Potpourri

Potpourri

* Is gold going to crash? EPJ says that Goldman was short gold mining stocks when outsiders last peeked. So do they know something we don’t, or were they just helping the Plunge Protection Team to slow down gold’s meteoric ascent? (And don’t meteors crash into the ground? Shouldn’t we call it gold’s carbon dioxidic […]

Another Equation of "Religion" With "Falsity"

Folks, don’t flip out, I totally get why Tom Palmer and now Joe Romm are writing in this fashion. But strictly speaking, to call something “a religion” doesn’t mean it’s thereby false. Even in a secular context, all it means is that the people who believe in the claims aren’t being objective and rational about […]

Potpourri

* Scott Sumner writes a profound post in which he gives the illusion of blowing up macro and then promises to rebuild it from scratch. I will write a lengthy critique of this post in the coming days, but this is some of the best stuff the geeconosphere has to offer. * The intrepid von […]

Potpourri

* Mario Rizzo deconstructs the “contributions” to the 3Q GDP figures: “[A]t least 2.5 percentage points of the 3.5 percent increase are suspect on their own terms. And then there are the future costs to bear.” * Not only did Paul Krugman (or his lackey) approve my comment on this post, but it was the […]

Potpourri

* A blog touting capitalism that was (according to an email I got from the author) inspired by my book. * David Frum is astounded: “People think of gold not as a metal, but as an alternative form of money.” (HT2 Bob Roddis) * As if in response, EPJ reports with delight: “I never thought […]

Potpourri

* Brian Domitrovic was one of the speakers at the recent ISI conference I attended. He is a history professor but (like Tom Woods) he has the gumption to cross disciplinary lines and do very good economic analysis. Domitrovic is an avowed supply-sider, but if you think “oh so he thinks you cut taxes, receipts […]

Potpourri

* My critique [.pdf] of William Nordhaus’ “DICE” model (arguing for a carbon tax) in The Independent Review is now online. Also of interest is Dan Shahar’s article (summary here) in the same issue on “Climate Change and Justice.” * Speaking of climate change, here’s an odd post where Joe Romm excoriates the Saudis for […]

Potpourri

I’m still way behind on my “real work” so blogging will be sparse this week… But here are some links: * Gold keeps chugging. * Speaking of gold prices, Robert Wenzel reproduces a great speech by GATA’s Chris Powell. Powell’s tone is great; he acknowledges that people think GATA is a bunch of black-helicopter kooks, […]