Penners
Thanks to all who came back with info on Steve Keen and his book.
Hopefully his efforts will bear some fruit (re debunking mainstream
economics), but I suspect it will be a case of preaching to the converted,
unless he engages in the sort of extra-academic work that folks like Doug
Dowd and Michael Yates engage in. Within the academy increasing
standardisation of the curriculum makes it harder for creative types of any
political hue to do interesting things at the undergraduate level.
I can't claim any special credit here, although I make it a point of
subverting a lot of the stuff I must otherwise parrot. Getting hold of
accessible English language material for students for whom English is a
second, third or fourth language narrows choice somewhat. For introductory
economics I've been using the UK edition of the latest Stiglitz, co-authored
by John Driffill of Birkbeck College, London. It's well laid out and
accessibly written (the students have given good feedback) but content-wise
it's like a primer in public choice theory. At least the students seem to
appreciate the opportunity to question the book's many dubious assertions.
As storm clouds gather over the economy that will become more intense.
Louis, your comment re the welfare state is intriguing. Resisting
caricature, what exactly is Keen's justification for claiming that to move
beyond the welfare state would be disastrous?
Michael K.
