Steve Landsburg

Archive for Steve Landsburg

Steve Landsburg, Destroyer of Worlds

I stand in awe of Steve Landsburg’s mind, though sometimes I question the uses to which he deploys it. For example, I’m sure the math is correct (given his assumptions) behind his latest, counterintuitive result: [E]ven in a thoroughly non-Keynesian world where markets work perfectly…and recessions cure themselves, we might still want [a destructive] hurricane. […]

Thoughts on My Debate With David Friedman

After reviewing our debate (which I’m reposting below), I realized there were a few points where I misunderstood what Friedman was saying. It will not surprise you to hear that I think there were also several points where he misunderstood me. (For one obvious example, of course I know that modern physicists think the universe […]

It’s All Or Nothing When It Comes to Gifts From God, or Else We Hate Him

The danger in my last post is that atheists will say, “OK fair enough, Steve Landsburg was a little off in his joke about Catholics. But c’mon, the 30,000-foot view is still fine: It’s absurd when religious people ‘praise God’ for miraculous cures. Why doesn’t He cure everybody, why pick and choose? And c’mon, what […]

Atheists Can Mock Religion With Half Their Brain Tied Behind Their Back

I debated whether making this post, but what the heck. First, a disclaimer: I know Steve Landsburg “was just kidding” with this recent post about John Paul II being canonized. I’m not bringing it up to pout; I’m not even Catholic (anymore). But I still think it epitomizes an ironic trend among very confident atheists. […]

Potpourri

==> I’m getting ready for my trip to Mordor next week, so blogging is still sparse. I’m really looking forward to posting the YouTube videos of the presentations from our panelists at the IER Carbon Tax conference, especially for you professional free-market economists who read this blog. I think you’re going to be surprised by […]

One Last Volley on the Keynesian Cross

Somebody emailed me the relevant section from Krugman/Wells on this stuff. Unfortunately it’s not a smoking gun; both sides will see what they want to see. Krugman walks through the original Keynesian logic of using the MPC to derive “the” multiplier (with math, not geometry). So someone who wants to bust him, would just look […]

Klever Krugman Responds to Landsburg’s Klaimed Karicature

No doubt inspired by my trademarked “Krugman Kontradiction,” my favorite blogger has a response to Landsburg entitled “Karicature Keynesianism.” It is quite clever; let me show you why. Krugman writes: [L]et me note that Landsburg’s latest unfortunate intervention follows a well-trodden path: that of starting from the proposition that Keynesians are themselves really, really stupid […]

The Cross Keynesian

Steve Landsburg took on the Keynesian Cross (and its case for the government multiplier) and Daniel Kuehn is none too happy. Daniel lists all sorts of reasons that the Keynesian textbook case isn’t as simplistic as Landsburg makes out. For example, any decent Econ 101 student (according to Daniel) realizes that there should be time […]