Posts Tagged ‘Bill Easterly’

12th July
2010
written by Tobias Blanken

William Easterly, Professor an der New York University, über Jeffrey Sachs, Professor an der New Yorker Columbia University:

Scientific American, in its November 2006 issue, reaches a “scientific judgment” that the great Nobel Prize-winning economist Friedrich Hayek “was wrong” about free markets and prosperity in his classic, “The Road to Serfdom.” The natural scientists’ favorite economist — Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University — announces this new scientific breakthrough in a column, saying “the evidence is now in.” To dispel any remaining doubts, Mr. Sachs clarifies that anyone who disagrees with him “is clouded by vested interests and by ideology.”

[...]

First, Mr. Sachs disses the great Hayek by repeating the old canard that Hayek thought any attempt at taxpayer-funded social insurance would put us all on the “Road to Serfdom.” This is an especially strange charge, since Hayek (while certainly opposed to the social engineering that proponents of a full-blown welfare state usually have in mind) himself calls for some form of taxpayer-funded social insurance against severe physical deprivation on pages 133-134 of “The Road to Serfdom.” Mr. Sachs, who is currently best known for his star- driven campaign to end world poverty, has apparently spent more time studying the economic thinking of Salma Hayek than that of Friedrich.

Aus: William Easterly. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition). New York, N.Y.:Nov 15, 2006. p. A.18

Siehe auch: Foreign Policy’s First Annual List of the 100 Top Global Thinkers. No 39. Jeffrey D. Sachs & William Easterly.

22nd September
2009
written by Tobias Blanken

To keep a bit of seriousness, though, I’m going to propose a theory of international trade between Africa and celebrities. Africa exports stereotypical images of misery in return for celebrities’ advocacy for more Africa funds. The theory of trade says that trade only happens when both parties gain. Celebrities gain some combination of altruistic satisfaction, a good PR image, and a boost for their acting or singing career. Africa gains aid funds.

Celebrities finally swamp advocacy market – an application of economic theory. By Bill Easterly