Monthly Archives: April 2009

Ars longa vita brevis

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Nicholas Gruen

Not a show I watch I admit, but as Troppo’s reality TV correspondent I read this piece from New Matilda “Reality TV Sh!ts In Its Nest” It’s an expose of Ladette to Lady.  I though it would explain how the girls … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy | 4 Comments

The right thing at the wrong time

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Nicholas Gruen

I was once on a tram in Melbourne and got talking to the woman next to me.  She asked what I was doing and I told her that I was down from Canberra for the day.  I told her that … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy | 4 Comments

Liabilities: a trillion here, a trillion there and pretty soon . . .

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Nicholas Gruen

From the US General Accountability Office.  HT – an email from David Lian. The federal governments financial condition and fiscal outlook are worse than many may understand. Despite an increase in revenues in fiscal year 2006 of about $255 billion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Politics - international | 8 Comments

Adam Smith does a bit of ‘behavioural economics’

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Nicholas Gruen

I’m re-reading the Theory of Moral Sentiments.  Some of it’s great.  Some of it, not so much. Anyway a well known phsychological phenomenon is they way that our happiness reverts to our mean level of happiness which tends to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy | 5 Comments

A great column from John Kay: on targets and muddling through – when they don’t work so well

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Nicholas Gruen

Full of relevance for our own brand of muddling through. Here’s the column.    Labours affair with bankers is to blame for this sorry state In Wednesdays Budget statement, Alistair Darling acknowledged that even on his optimistic assumptions a decade was needed … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy | Comments Off on A great column from John Kay: on targets and muddling through – when they don’t work so well

Why a fiscal stimulus makes sense, and why we shouldn’t have spent so much of the mineral boom revenue windfall

Posted on April 26, 2009 by Nicholas Gruen

From Dani Rodrik’s blog. Macroeconomics doesn’t get much plaudits around now, but here is a real-life story that should hearten those who think the field is really broken.  It concerns Andres Velasco, a distinguished macroeconomist who is currently the minister of finance in Chile, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Politics - international | 7 Comments

Couldn’t agree more Paul

Posted on April 26, 2009 by Nicholas Gruen

Reclaiming Americas Soul, by Paul Krugman, Commentary, NY Times: Nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past. So declared President Obama, after his commendable decision to release the legal memos that his predecessor … Continue reading →

Posted in Law, Life, Politics - international | Comments Off on Couldn’t agree more Paul