The dynamite prize for economics

The dynamite prize for economics

Although the battle amongst economic theorists (a broader category than just economists) does appear to be getting increasingly bizarre, my previous post did not for a moment seek to imply that this is a new or surprising state of affairs.

In fact, the field in general has long been home to a suprisingly diverse and antagonistic collection of minds; it's just that you wouldn't really know it, given the way the Friedman school of monetarism has dominated the mainstream economic conversation in recent decades.

In many ways, that's been a bad thing. Those few souls who did question the mainstream these last few years, singing their little canary hearts out before "the worst crisis since the great depression" (TWCSTGD for short) hit us, were laughed out of the mainstream media and villifed as doom-mongers and worse; even now they fail to get much respect.

Which is why a little schadenfreude might be considered justifiable.

The Dynamite Prize for Economics is a tongue in cheek straw poll along the lines of the Darwin Awards.

It will go to the three economists that could reasonably be considered most to blame for TWCSTGD.

Go and vote here.