Keynes and the crisis

If anything, an economic crisis is a learning experience. Not only do we learn about the things we did wrong but also we have a strong incentive to learn about past crises. If you study economic crises, you will not go far without learning about Lord Maynard Keynes, the British economist that revolutionized the way we approach and try to solve economic problems. Thanks to PBS we can learn about Keynes and his ideas from an informative dialog between one of his biographers, Robert Skidelsky, and Russ Roberts. If the conversation does not illuminate your knowledge of Keynes' economic ideas it will at least teach you that “ropey” is a British informal word for “unsound”.

Megan McArdle

I mentioned Megan McArdle when I recommended a bloggingheads episode. Remarkably, her blog "Asymmetrical Information" at The Atlantic magazine's website is a constant source of powerful insights. She is at her best when pundits make silly assumptions, flawed arguments, or forget about Econ 101 principles. Her arguments are sharp and ruthless, leaving her opponents usually like a spanked child. See examples here, here, and here. She is also helpful when shedding light on the cost of policies such as health care reform. Last but not least, she is a superb writer who can explain complex arguments with clear grammar and logical arguments, though sometimes she employs an unnecessary number of words to make a point.

A Just Idea

Michael Sandel is one of the world’s top political philosophers. Unlike most of his fellow philosophers, Sandel is an engaging writer and an inspiring educator. In fact, his course on justice remains one of Harvard University’s most popular classes. Luckily, we can now all enjoy his justice course, taking, “a front row seat at the first course Harvard has ever made available to everyone, online and on the air.” You—the spoiled 21^st century citizen—can choose to watch Mr. Sandel for free on either his course’s easy-to-navigate website or on Youtube.