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From Econ4.org, a group that's devoted to building an alternative to the economics orthodoxy that the economy is about Wall Street and not about the well-being of working people, a statement that's been signed by 170 economists so far:

We are economists who oppose ideological cleansing in the economics profession. Equally we oppose political cleansing in the vital debate over the causes and consequences of our current economic crisis.

We support the efforts of the Occupy Wall Street movement across the country and across the globe to liberate the economy from the short-term greed of the rich and powerful “one percent”.

We oppose cynical and perverse attempts to misuse our police officers and public servants to expel advocates of the public good from our public spaces.

We extend our support to the vision of building an economy that works for the people, for the planet, and for the future, and we declare our solidarity with the Occupiers who are exercising our democratic right to demand economic and social justice.

Amherst, Massachusetts
November 13, 2011

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Liberal AND Proud's picture

In other news, Grover Norquist wiped his ass with the Constitution on camera.


"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."

piaqt's picture

What part of that is news? He's been Xeroxing that buttprint for years..


“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
- Albert Einstein

Tax the Rich's picture

He ate it.


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Alerta_Alerta's picture

I love Calvin and Hobbes. I had a "Sick of it all" t-shirt. (I believe an unofficial one) Where Calvin smashed the world with a Baseball bat. Awesome. :D

Tried to find the picture on google. Can't find it. It sure must've been a bootleg.


Bite my shiny metal ass.
http://www.startalkradio.net/
"Bless me father for i have sinned. Those crimes that i committed, well, i did 'em again. Empty my soul to empower yours. Lead me blind down the path to salvation's doors."

Peter G's picture

and at no time have I ever heard or read that strange purported orthodoxy that the economy is about Wall St. Economists study a huge array of problems in both macro and micro economics and very little of the subject is about Wall St.


Hasa Diga Eebowai

fiver's picture

See, I'm an astronaut.

And from space you can clearly see the advantages Wall Street holds. In fact, even during my extensive study of Jupiter from my home made spacecraft, I was able to focus in on the fact that Finance makes up about one fifth of the American economy and has its pawns controlling all three branches of government.

I'm also a porn star and can easily recognize when people are being screwed.

You know, as long as we're claiming our personal authority in an anonymous forum.


Corruption favors the wealthy.

who keeps showing up in the news reports cited by MM23 demonstrating federal conspiracy/collusion in the coordinated attacks on the strategic territory held by the growing #Occupy forces who are creating the American version of Arab spring while the participants in the autumn version of the real thing are being killed in Cairo.


TFR

fiver's picture

Must be a day ending in "y."


Corruption favors the wealthy.

ricky's picture

or you don't follow MM23's links? My bad.

Well, go to the link Susie has to Econ4.org. Then click on their links to film and watch the first video. It will teach you all you need to know about basic economics 4 making a better world 4 people in just 4 brief minutes. I am sure it will have you declaring solidarity with whatever they get solid with in no time flat.


TFR

fiver's picture

You seem to be making a dig, yet you make it so vague that it is impossible to really tell what it is. You also seem to be deliberately weaseling your implications so that you can later deny you made them when called on it.

Must be a day ending in "y."


Corruption favors the wealthy.

from recent C&L commentary and adding that unidentified soul to your list.

I didn't think you would profess an inability to figure that out. I guess I confused
you by my lengthy description of which anonymous source MM23 keeps repeatedly linking to. Should have just put a period after MM23.


TFR

who were not present in the conversation.

Or so you told me a few times... :-(


CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"

ricky's picture

But I did not attack anyone. I merely imagined fiver to be an anonymous Justice Department official I have read about often. Didn't have a negative thing to say about him, fiver, or MM23, who has posted the link to him.


TFR

ixnay's picture

But I was just wondering out loud why some people seldom practice that which they preach so profusely to others.


CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"

BigNoseDog's picture

For someone who claims to have studied economics for a long time, you clearly missed what the subject is about and why people study it. Economics is about the scarcity of resources and how the different players cope with that scarcity. Therefore, any person, group, or institution that interferes with the efficient allocation of resources and functioning of markets is worthy of study by economists. In this case, we have a group of large banks who believe in free markets, but then expect the government to bail them out instead of being allowed to fail, arguing that such failure would threaten the entire financial apparatus. Further, they use their power over government to influence policy so that it favors them even though these same banks say government should stay out of the private sector. These economists are calling attention to a player, Wall Street, that is actively working against well-functioning markets by working on concentrate wealth. The financial sector is all about creating a place where those in need of funds can borrow from those who have them resulting in better use of those funds which in turn benefits us all. I don't see the banks doing much lending. Do you? I see them whining about their taxes and regulations, even though it was a lack of regulation that nearly brought the economy down.

ixnay's picture

eh?


CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"

Rich H's picture

.

Edwin's picture

People that think they know everything about everything, know little about anything. They don't know enough to realize that.


"If the US government enforced its banking laws like it did its park regulations, we wouldn't be
in this damn park in the first place." OCCUPY.!!

ixnay's picture

when Peter was schooling us in Nuclear Engineering. Now he is an economist, and the week before that he was an expert on American politics.

I gotta say, you Canadians are an impressive bunch!


CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"

Edwin's picture

Let's not forget fracking, Libya and slave wages in third-world countries. Some real knee slappers on those subjects. And the winner in my humble opinion is obstructing traffic. He has a PhD. in that.


"If the US government enforced its banking laws like it did its park regulations, we wouldn't be
in this damn park in the first place." OCCUPY.!!

Thunderchild's picture

...send some federal troops out to protect protesters from mayors like Bloomberg who are illegally preventing individuals from exercising their constitutional rights. It worked for Eisenhower in 1957.


I'm a job creator!!! I buy stuff!

Liberal AND Proud's picture

Nope, States rights trumps civil rights in the 21st Century.


"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."

Milquetoast's picture

...and found out that they are a bunch of idiots if they think that a freemarket economy is responsible for the mess we are in.

(count me out)

everything but a freemarket economy is why we are in trouble.

170 economists are wrong.

p.s. I wonder what percentage of those 170 economists predicted the collapse of 07-08 ?

(none I would bet)


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

Thunderchild's picture

you keep using that word. I don't think you know what it means.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=OHVjs4aobqs


I'm a job creator!!! I buy stuff!

Milquetoast's picture

why don't you link us all to where Paul Krugman predicted the collapse of 2008?

Question?

"Is bailing out too big to fail banks part of a freemarket economy" ...?


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

Tax the Rich's picture

He did predict it in 2006.

That's why I sold my rental.

Free Market is a dog whistle used by the wingers. We have no free markets. We have corporate fascist crony capitalism that works for the very few who are rich enough to buy congresscritters.

Crony capitalism being sold as "Free Market" whatever, IS the reason we are in the economic shitter today. To say otherwise is absurd.


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Milquetoast's picture

...did not predict the economic collapse.

(prove me wrong)

link to that 2006 Krugman prediction?


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

Tax the Rich's picture

I'm not going to go back and read through articles from five years ago just to prove anything to you.

I sold my rental based on what he was writing and posting in his blog. If that isn't good enough, I don't really care.

What's next, you want someone to find writings by Isaac Newton where he talked about the invention of calculus just because you don't want to believe he did invent it - along with Leibnitz of course?

Whatever.


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Milquetoast's picture
(!)

I'm not going to go back and read through articles from five years ago just to prove anything to you.

Translation:

(you were not telling the truth)


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

Tax the Rich's picture

Translation:

I really don't care what you think. Especially since you somehow believe I have nothing better to do than make up shit for a fool like you.

You prove he didn't say it!

Would you like my wife and in-laws to give you a call in order to back up my story?

Again, prove he didn't say it. I read him faithfully. Always. How often have you read his books/articles?

You are making a claim on that with which you do not know. I know what I read. As I said before, do your own research. It only takes a few minutes.


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Mr T Slick's picture
pissed off patricia's picture

Milque, google "Krugman predicts 2006 economy" and you can read all about it.


Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.

fiver's picture
No.

Bailing out the banks is the result of so-called free market economics.

Time and again free market capitalists put their policies in place resulting in a complete disaster for the economy as a whole (but also resulting in the further enrichment of the oligarchical class). Then after the policies inevitably fail, the free marketers (i.e. crony capitalists) claim that the reason for failure was that we didn't put enough of their policies in place.

"Golly, coach. I don't thinks that Statue of Liberty play is gonna work again. Every time we do it we get creamed."

"That's only because we haven't been doing it enough, son."

"But coach . . . "

"Shut up and run it again." Then under his breath: "And I need to tell the bookie I've got another bet to place against our team. This is too easy."

see also: http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine


Corruption favors the wealthy.

Milquetoast's picture
(?)

free marketers (i.e. crony capitalists)

advocates of freemarkets are crony capitalits according to you?

I suppose you are one of those people who think that all libertarians are racists too?


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

Tax the Rich's picture

I didn't say anything about racism. Stop stereotyping.

But if you don't think our economy is completely controlled by fascist crony capitalists' - you are out to lunch.


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Milquetoast's picture

...you.

I was addressing fiver.

he equated freemarket proponents with crony capitalists.

p.s. ...I'm still waiting on the Krugman 2006 prediction link (yawn)


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

Tax the Rich's picture

I did respond up above.

Do your own research.


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Milquetoast's picture

but yet I do not see a link to Paul Krugmans "2006" prediction...

(ho hum)

am I blind?


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

ron's picture

YES!

Tax the Rich's picture

I see no posts or links that prove he didn't say it.

You lying?


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

fiver's picture

Krugman did predict it. On video.


Corruption favors the wealthy.

Rich H's picture

It's often hard to take up that kind of challenge (at least it is for me).

fiver's picture

In case you haven't noticed over the years we've been commenting at this site together, I have a lower case "l" libertarian outlook.

But that is not what's espoused by today's capital "L" Libertarians. They are simply dressing up the "deregulate, privatize, and cut taxes" agenda of the crony capitalists in some new clothing. That agenda failed so miserably under Bush that a re-branding was in order.

The libertarian philosophy is indeed against government interference generally, but not in all cases. Economically, when the system fails it is entirely appropriate for government to step in. What failures? Two that immediately come to mind are externalities (when the economic decisions of individuals fail to take into account all costs or benefits, e.g. pollution) and monopoly/oligopoly (when any player or concert of players can affect price).

Today's Libertarians want to let "the market" do its work even when there is nothing resembling a competitive market. That's crony capitalism.


Corruption favors the wealthy.

Milquetoast's picture

Know that we don't have freemarkets.

They know that the Republicans and Democrats who voted to prop up the too big to fails...are the real crony capitalists!


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

fiver's picture

. . . that they're also in favor of punitive taxation on and heavy regulation of bankers to recoup the benefits given by the multi-trillion dollar bailout and prevent it from happening again?

My guess is no. It would interfere with their "free market" principles.


Corruption favors the wealthy.

ThinkTwice's picture

in? qualifies you to say these economists are a "bunch of idiots? Give me a name,just one name of an economist who signed and tell me what you know about him/her. I thought so, talking out of your butt again. LOL


The good life is a day at the beach.

Milquetoast's picture

(I'm sure)

The free-market fundamentalism that attained ideological dominance in the final decades of the 20th century has been discredited by financial collapse, global imbalances, mass unemployment, and environmental degradation.

I say they are a bunch of Keynesian doofuses...(just like Paul Krugman)

why don't you discredit me with a big article about how they predicted all that is happening and therefore know how to fix it?


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

Tax the Rich's picture

Keynesian economics - getting as much money into the most hands is critical to sustainable economic growth - is stupid? What you are saying doesn't even make any sense.

I use to think you were somewhat sensible sometimes, guess I was wrong.

Furthermore, I have read Krugman's books, and his articles for years. His knack of predicting what is going to happen is incredible. Just because you don't want to admit it, doesn't make it so.

How many of his books and articles have you read? I have literally sat at my kitchen table with my wingnut inlaws, and shown them Krugman articles or book passages that were right on the money years before the actual occurances. Then I show them bullshit from winger books, and point out how they are always wrong (actually lying) about everything.

Stop saying he didn't predict the collapse. He did!


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Milquetoast's picture

...of 07-08 and hence...

has no idea how to fix it.

he was also a big fan of the bankster bailouts...

Krugman is in-credible.


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

So, to follow a corollary to Milquetoast's logic: Because Krugman predicted the collapse of 07/08, he knows how to fix it.


Corruption favors the wealthy.

Tax the Rich's picture

Some meatheads are just to thick.


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Milquetoast's picture

...here is my favorite economist predicting the same thing a month before Krugman did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfascZSTU4o

Krugman is just a copycat.


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

fiver's picture

You have comments all over this thread not only claiming that Krugman didn't predict the collapse, but also ridiculing commenters for not posting a link quickly enough for your liking.

You were just plain wrong - and you were insulting about it.

Now it's just "Yeah, well" ?


Corruption favors the wealthy.

Milquetoast's picture

apologies to you and Tax the rich.

I still think Krugman is an idiot.


audit-prosecute-incarcerate

Andy K's picture

Milquey seems to think that Keynesian spend means only "tax and spend". I've tried on numerous occasions to inform him of Keynes' qualifier: That you save in good economic times, while you spend at deficits during downturns.

Milquey doesn't get it because he doesn't want to get it. He is on his third pitcher of the day of the Saint of Surfside's Flavor Aid. .

Kreskin's picture

For crise sakes Milquetoast , put your dunce cap on and go sit in the corner , it's time ... again .

Tax the Rich's picture

ROFLMAO!

I think the dunce cap reference really took this one over the top Kreskin.....:)


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

Liberal AND Proud's picture

Arab Spring.

There's a female personal hygiene joke in there somewhere.


"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."

miss_kitty's picture

'Irish Spring' is a noxious smelling deodorant bar soap.

Liberal AND Proud's picture

Oh...so many jokes in there too. ;)


"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."

Kreskin's picture

Well if you say so Milquetoast , I guess we should listen . LOL .

Samson-'s picture

is a slogan, a cudgel, a scam, an illusion

that should be obvious by now... should be

in the Economics Department of UMass-Amherst, since almost 20% of the signatories came from that source alone.


TFR

Tax the Rich's picture

Better than the Chicago School of Business and the Freidman fascist cult followers the DLC and repukes live by.

I think you are making a good choice.


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

without so much as a single riot equipped cop even asking them to "Move along" politely.

By the way Enron is gone too. Market forces or latent recognition there is no Santa Claus is believed to be to blame.


TFR

Tax the Rich's picture

No Santy Clause?

Well ain't that just freakin' great!

As far as Enron goes, I think it was because they were associated with the Bush family crime syndicate, and overdosed on creating their own reality.

Hey, I'm getting obtuse - just like ricky.

And it happened on a Susie posting. Wow!


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.

to deprive us of the fructosity needed for angerology.


TFR

Tax the Rich's picture

You took the words..................................


Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.