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  • Illusional ...: 
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  Are the economics departments short staffed?

  Jul 08 01:24 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Windsun33: 
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  • Northern Arizona Wind & Sun
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  It scares me that I actually understood that.

  Jul 08 01:25 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Missing_Link: 
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  So what they're saying is, "Hope is a strategy."
  
  Hmmm ... I'll take "Bullshit" for $200, Alex.

  Jul 08 01:29 PM | Link | Reply
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  • user344210: 
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  So, if it doesn't work, does it follow that every type of economist who isn't a proponent of small government is not to be listened to?

  Jul 08 01:30 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Fulcanelli: 
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  He should have every penny to his name bet long in this market then. Tired off all the noise. Let's see their books.

  Jul 08 01:32 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Windsun33: 
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  The catch is that not every economist thinks the stimulous will work - in fact most seem to think it will have minimal effect at best. Which does not refute the "hope as a strategy" scenario. That "hope" might be replaced with fear - and work the same way in reverse.

  Jul 08 01:35 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Hask: 
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  It's not called the dismal science for nothing.

  Jul 08 01:36 PM | Link | Reply
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  • The AntiCramer: 
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  Why does everyone discount the intelligence of "the unwashed masses" so deeply? A working couple trying to support a family in increasing times doesn't give a damn what some bowtie wearing economist dictates from his ivy tower. They have to deal with making REAL decisions on a daily basis. They know better than any distant observer the pressures they face.
  
  The mere fact that anyone thinks these economists have this much influence over the masses is a testament to how blind the "enlightened" actually are.

  Jul 08 01:40 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Machiavelli999: 
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  This is how the usual argument between stimulus supporters and stimulus skeptics goes like.
  
  Stimulus skeptics throw out a bunch of arguments that are half-truths or fallacies.
  
  Stimulus supporters refute all of them.
  
  Stimulus skeptics stop with the logic and begin throwing out ideological proclamations about socialism or communism, insults and sarcastic humor. Stimulus supporters fire back with more facts and evidence but sadly they don't realize that the stimulus skeptics don't care anymore about facts and evidence.

  Jul 08 01:45 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Tropean: 
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  This strikes me as analogous to the famous quote from Pauline Kael (long-time movie critic for The New Yorker magazine) in 1972, after Nixon beat McGovern, and Kael said "How can he have won? Nobody I know voted for him."
  
  I'm sure none of Frank's colleagues at Cornell or NYU opposed the stimulus. He should come down from his tower and poke around the real world for a while.

  Jul 08 01:46 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Machiavelli999: 
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  OK, I take some of that last comment back. There are a few economists (Tyler Cowen) who make decent arguments against the stimulus. But their argument is not that the stimulus won't work, its that it will work but as soon as we stop the stimulus the economy will fall again. That is at least a decent argument to have.

  Jul 08 01:49 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Roberm73: 
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  • doomisnigh
  Hmm..A Sucker born every minute.

  Jul 08 01:55 PM | Link | Reply
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  • safariman: 
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  • Safariman...World Traveller
  When you wish upon a star...

  Jul 08 01:56 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Mr. Ed, Jr.: 
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  "The fact that stimulus opponents are far less numerous, have less distinguished academic credentials, on average, and are far less ideologically diverse than their counterparts does not guarantee they're wrong"
  
  For those of us who are not elitists, and thus not smart enough to agree with the Cornell U. author's stimulus theory (And it is just a theory) --a translation....
  
  "Those very few who disagree with my stimulus theory are stupid and narrow-minded, but could accidentally-- but only accidentally-- be right."
  
  These are the smug, arrogant ramblings of the ivory tower liberals who have no clue what a mess they have made with their brilliant ideas. (California is Exhibit A)

  Jul 08 02:26 PM | Link | Reply
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  • user344210: 
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  Just for you, buddy.
  
  lmgtfy.com/?q=self+def...
  
  I'll also save you some time by saying that the words "socialism" and "communism" don't appear in the text.
  
  
  On Jul 08 01:45 PM Machiavelli999 wrote:
  
  > This is how the usual argument between stimulus supporters and stimulus
  > skeptics goes like.
  >
  > Stimulus skeptics throw out a bunch of arguments that are half-truths
  > or fallacies.
  >
  > Stimulus supporters refute all of them.
  >
  > Stimulus skeptics stop with the logic and begin throwing out ideological
  > proclamations about socialism or communism, insults and sarcastic
  > humor. Stimulus supporters fire back with more facts and evidence
  > but sadly they don't realize that the stimulus skeptics don't care
  > anymore about facts and evidence.

  Jul 08 02:30 PM | Link | Reply
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  • ziopaperone: 
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  • borsa americana / american stock exchange
  for your info, we used a stimulus years ago in Italy and it worked.
  
  that said, stimulus or not, things will improve, it's about life habit and psychology. Young generations (and also not so young) are not used to excessive saving and sacrifice, and their head is brainwashed by advertising (too often, also ours is). This will not be changed quickly. Sooner or later TV and news will stop refraining about the crisis (and maybe we are already accustomed and bored about this refrain) and things will return to normality. Not to mention hyper-populated Countries that still have to reach our "normality" - they are 30 years or more behind us. Lots of consumers and things to be sold.
  
  so soon we will be concerned again about resource scarcity and earth and nature conservation...
  I believe that at least this crash is an opportunity to realign us with the health of our planet: this is a good thing, as in spite of any exceptional effort, this will be a long process and will require hard work.
  
  When GM / dinosaurs extinguish, better things come, that's not a news on planet Earth. So be prudent and provident for the worst, but work and prepare for the better.

  Jul 08 03:13 PM | Link | Reply
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  • the rabble: 
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  Me like what him say...me not worry now...

  Jul 08 09:17 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Windsun33: 
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  You mean "facts" like it will create or save 3.5 million jobs?
  
  
  On Jul 08 01:45 PM Machiavelli999 wrote:
  
  >
  > Stimulus supporters refute all of them.
  > ..Stimulus supporters fire back with more facts and evidence
  > but sadly they don't realize that the stimulus skeptics don't care
  > anymore about facts and evidence.

  Jul 08 11:06 PM | Link | Reply
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  • Windsun33: 
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  The majority of the "stimulous will work" economists seem to be either academics with little or no real world experience, or members of the administration.
  
  There are a lot of people that are not called "economists" because they don't work at some university, but have equal or better knowledge of the real world. The difference is in the labels applied, and the fact that as a general rule those labeled as economists have less real business or financial experience.
  
  If all of those economists are so smart, why are they getting rich in the stock market or as "leaders of industry"?

  Jul 08 11:12 PM | Link | Reply