CT has long been the go-to blog on the cultural significance of underwater zombies (as in this classic). But now as reported by Paul Krugman in the NYTimes, they’ve taken over the ECB.
The Rugby World Cup got under way last weekend, with no big surprises so far—although Wales were very unlucky against South Africa. Ireland sputtered along against the U.S., clearly in need of something to get them focused. So with that in mind—and in the hope that they can do it the next time they face New Zealand—I suggest they adopt this excellent haka. Some rudimentary knowledge of Irish is required for the full effect.
Time to move on past 9/11 after 10 years I think. I’ve had a few pieces out recently that might be of interest to some CT readers: mostly paywalled I think – I guess I’m obligated to give them first dibs, but I’ll put up a near-final draft if there is enough interest
* In Politics and Society a piece entitled “Financial Markets: Masters or Servants? ” Abstract
Throughout the history of capitalism, there have been tensions between financial institutions and the state, and between financial capital and the firms and households engaged in the production and consumption of physical goods and services. Periods of financial sector dominance have regularly ended in spectacular panics and crashes, often resulting in the liquidation of large numbers of financial institutions and the reimposition of regulatory controls previously dismissed as outmoded and unnecessary. The aim of this article is to consider measures to restore financial markets to their proper role, as servants rather than masters of the market economy and the society within which it is embedded.
* In the Chronicle of Higher Ed, Cutthroat Admissions and Rising Inequality: A Vicious Duo developing some ideas I’ve talked about here regarding the narrowing of access to elite universities and jobs in the US
Also, a piece coming out soon in the National Interest, about China and Summer Davos. Generally, I think that the current Chinese regime is unsustainable, and that its attempts to throw its geopolitical weight around are silly. On the other hand, there is no reason to expect a smooth transition to market liberalism, let alone to democracy.