On Economists:

[fable]

adbusters nov/dec2005
Incorporating social and environmental concerns into your neoclassical model are mini-steps in the right direction, but what the world truly needs now is the rise of a new breed of economists. Your colleagues may be fine people, but the fact is that most economists dont know how to measure natural as well as money flows; are unable to come up with more accurate measures of progress than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); and sit smugly in their offices playing micro and macro economic games while temperatures rise, species go extinct and ecosystems collapse. We need a clash of paradigms, a moment of trut, a revolution in economics. Your neoclassical paradigm is like a bucket full of water thats ready to tip over. a growing band of maverick economists is going to give it one good kick-truecosteconomics.org

I remembered once, a group of students and practioners of the economic arts that were trully gifted, and had a sense of reality, unmatched, and unbridled. They were a hidden bunch, tossing back sobe's and reading the nation. They sought to contribute to healing the planet, by entering the dens of hell themselves. Armed with pdas, laptops, asprin and coffee, they trod heads heald eye, smirks freely drawn, faces were flushed with the knowledge that they would be the ones, that brought the establishment down, and released the long guarded treasure, that was public disclosure, and community finance. It was frigid ebony night, and they entered the desolate, gaudy paradise, that was the lair of imperialistic governing bodies, they entered as men and women proud and focused......never to be seen again. The quest for lost heroes, begins again..


action+mobilization
fable

[decypher]

http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/

[SEAN!]

ever heard of the saying stick to what youre good at..it applies to this, the theories on the economy as espoused by sociologists/political theorists are garbage. the same goes for most of the theories economists have that relate events that are more accurately explained by sociology /poli sci, ever heard an economic explanation of the racism? trust me its garbage.

it would only be successful if an interdisciplanary approach is taken, which is complicated by the fact that economics is couched in a framework of examining trade offs and how people/things respond to incentives. its further complicated because people who study sociology and poli sci tend to apply value judgements and their own values onto their theory and would object to various recommendations or evaluation made using economic framework. for example alot of people would object to the valuation of human life, well economists do it all the time in cost benefit analysis.

[decypher]

It is possible to view politcal theory in a non-partisan way. Economic theory should be adapted to fit a changing world, albeit i know shit all about economics. Yes the enviroment is going to shit but maybe fixing indirect problems such as: "US coal production is now expected to grow by 2.6 percent in 2005," could do better for the enviroment then trying to initiate some sort of paradigm shift or a "clash of paradigms." Offsetting the problem of limited oil with increased coal production is good for the enviroment? This American policy is regressive.