2/22    NYT op-ed on jobs.
                http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/23/opinion/23SAFI.html?hp
                \- hello this is a far better article, especially for you
                   parochial, racist, formerly libertarian, nouvelle
                   protectionists. --psb
           http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2454530
                   \_ Anyone who disagrees with you must be a racist and a
                      hick.  Way to go Partha!  That'll bring em over to your
                      way of thinking right quick!  Come back agin, y'all!
                      \- i didnt say everyone who disagrees with me is
                         racist and a hick. by parochial i didnt mean
                         hick but more narrow minded. unable to see things
                         from other frames of reference. i am refering to
                         the people happy to let mfgr jobs go, buy foreign
                         shoes and textiles, didnt have an issue with
                         irish programmers or mexican farm workers, thought
                         the steel tarrifs were crazy, but now is having
                         second thoughts about free trade ... for thee but
                         not for me. --psb
                   \_ Well, I doubt they will have the patience for the
                      analysis on the Economist.  It is far easier to
                      to appeal to the darker side of minds by rousing fear
                      and anger than invite them to reason.  (Protect the
                      white virgins of this country from being outsourced!)
                   \_ Can someone explain to me what the contribution of an
                      economist is to society?  From where I'm sitting, they
                      appear to be researchers who will tell you, yes, that's
                      cancer, and you're going to die, but won't bother
                      finding cures or vaccines.
                      \- a fair question is "what are some significant
                         contributions to policy formulation from economic
                         science". well econometric methods are useful if
                         you believe it is important to have "feedback"
                         data about the economy. a field like IO may be
                         usefulto analyze anti-trust issues ... or in general
                         analysing regulation. financial economists came
                         up with pricing models, securitization. there is
                         the threory of international trade and open econ
                         monetary theory, optimal currency areas etc.--psb
                         \_ So the purpose of an economist is to provide
                            insight into how to increase the size and
                            stability of the economy?
                            \- well simplifying a lot, normative econ =
                               how people should behave. descrive = how
                               people do behave. in the modern age people
                               would probably say something like "decision
                               making with an eye to information and
                               rationality" is at the core of economics
                               rather than just focusing on money and
                               production of goods and services. some
                               economists study crime, gun control,
                               arms control, addiction etc. --psb