Welcome to the Economic Man Blog and thanks for joining the debate.
The main purpose of this blog will be to look at current events from an explicitly economic perspective … and to have some irreverent fun doing it. The emphasis is on the word irreverant, with a healthy dose of sarcasm. The general method will be to use a current event to illustrate a broader theme or topic. The approach will be semi-academic, but no attempt at factual rigor will be made. The main goal is to have fun, particularly for me, and finding and verifying details is the opposite of fun. Statements will be correct in the broad strokes and nothing will make me angrier than someone pointing out detailed mistakes. I have no intention of being confused by the facts.
A second theme will be evolutionary psychology. I firmly believe that, to the extent that people are rational, then economics is the best way of explaining their behaviour. To the extent that people are irrational, then evolutionary psychology provides the best explanation. These two fields of study are largely consistent — evolutionary theory and genetics use much of the same “optimizing” technology as economics — and there is a lot of overlap.
Another broad theme will being speaking the unspeakable. It is shocking and depressing to observe the impact of political correctness on debate. There are so many subjects that cannot be raised, let alone discussed with any honesty, without bringing down a torrent of ad hominem attacks. There will be no taboos in this blog.
A final theme will be healthy living and sport, simply because I like both of these and this is my blog. And also to convince any remaining doubters as to my fundamental quirkiness.
Readers are strongly encouraged to comment on my blogs. Affirmative comments will warmly appreciated, but I will save my real joy for the ones contesting my views. I love a good argument, particularly one in print, where we all have the time and deliberation needed to be as witty as we hope to be verbally. So, let’s all try to remain reasonably civil, but let the games begin.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this blog are purely my own and not those of my employer or my associates, past or present.