Earth to Polanyian Social-Democrats.

This was Economix, on November 6, 2013:

"John Podesta, a longtime adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton and President Obama, is starting a research center in Washington [Washington Center for Equitable Growth] to investigate the causes and effects of growing economic inequality.

"J. Bradford DeLong, one of the best-read economics bloggers, will move a significant portion of his writing to a new blog being started by the center."

Marx's Boils and Brad DeLong.

Readers may be surprised to learn that, as a Marxist, I never felt great interest for Karl Marx, the man (not exactly Robert Paul Wolff's attitude, but not that different, either).

That's why having read recently that Marx was afflicted (in his old age?) by frequent boils was a bit of a revelation to me. Having once had a big and very visible abscess in my right thigh, I can put myself in Marx's shoes.

I remember that boil, too: blood, pus, redness, warmth. Neither a pretty sight, nor fatal -- evidently -- although undeniably uncomfortable.

As Seen on the Internetz (ii)

Unbeknownst to me, the wise and good were already discussing subjects related to my last post: maths in economics.

Noah Smith began with his provocatively titled "Economics Without Math is Trendy, But it Doesn't Add Up" (Bloomberg View, Aug. 8). Whether you agree with Smith or not, you get the gist of his comment from the title (rather ingenious, you'll have to give him that). But, is it fair? Go there, read it, and make your own mind up.

INET to Students: "Your Wish is My Command".

(source)

Emmanuelle Benicourt from MEPREE (Mouvement des étudiants pour la réforme de l’enseignement en économie, France) does not seem impressed with the CORE e-book "The Economy" (h/t Robert Vienneau).

Glenn Stevens, Oz's Alan Greenspan?

"The risk he [Glenn Stevens] faces is that, if doomsayers such as Steve Keen are right this time, Stevens could go down as Australia's Alan Greenspan - the man who fuelled the US housing bubble that ended up blowing up its economy." (Michael Janda)

Last Tuesday (August 2) the RBA decided to lower interest rates to a historical minimum of 1.5%, in an attempt to inject some oomph into the flagging Australian economy.