You have to follow them home to see what they eat.
On May 7, 2013, at 12:27 PM, Tom Walker wrote: > You mean, are libertarians libertines? Or do they only eat libertines? > > On Tue, May 7, 2013 at 12:14 PM, Eugene Coyle <[email protected]> wrote: > So does this mean your view is that that Libertarians are into Bondage and S > & M? > > Gene > > > On May 7, 2013, at 11:25 AM, David Shemano wrote: > > > I am far removed from academia, but isn't LGBT studies an accepted part of > > the leftish canon? And isn't it inherent to the relevance of such studies > > that the fact that one is LGBT is in turn relevant to what one writes or > > thinks regarding literature, politics, etc.? So if so, would it not be > > consistent with LGBT studies to try and connect Keynes' economic thinking > > to his homosexuality? > > > > David Shemano > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jim Devine > > Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2013 10:55 AM > > To: Pen-l > > Subject: [Pen-l] the Ferguson files > > > > from SLATE: > > Niall Ferguson in 1995: Keynes' Homosexuality Caused His Views on the > > Treaty of Versailles > > > > By Matthew Yglesias > > > > Posted Tuesday, May 7, 2013, at 10:44 AM > > > > Niall Ferguson has already apologized for saying over the weekend that John > > Maynard Keynes' homosexuality was at the root of his views on fiscal > > policy, but Brad DeLong has recovered a remarkable 1995 Spectator article > > in which Ferguson alleges that Keynes' views on the Treaty of Versailles > > were also caused by his homosexuality. In this case, Ferguson's view is > > less that Keynes had a distinctive gay outlook on the issue, and more that > > a gay crush on a German representative to the conference led him to adopt > > pro-German and pro-inflation opinions. > > > > The article's conclusion: > > > >>> From 1919 onwards, for reasons which owed as much to emotion as economic > >>> logic, he had repeatedly encouraged the Germans in their resistance to > >>> Allied demands. He had heard and echoed their arguments at Versailles, > >>> predicting currency depreciation, the dumping of German exports and the > >>> westward march of Bolshevism as consequences of the treaty. He had shared > >>> their dismay at the reparations total set in 1921, and predicted German > >>> default from the outset. Even when he began to suspect that his friends > >>> were exaggerating their fiscal difficulties, this only inclined him to > >>> egg them on to a more confrontational strategy. Only when this ended in > >>> the complete collapse of the currency did Keynes distance himself. > > > >>> All this sheds revealing light on Keynes's later views on inflation. > >>> Those who see Keynesianism as, at root, an inflationary doctrine will > >>> not perhaps be surprised; just as those familiar with Bloomsbury will > >>> appreciate why Keynes fell so hard for the representative of an enemy > >>> power. Only those-like Robert Skidelsky-who seek to rescue his > >>> reputation as a monetary theorist may find Keynes's conduct less easy > >>> to account for. << > > > > I have not read The Economic Consequences of the Peace, but am somewhat > > familiar with the general debates at the time. My view of the situation is > > that the whole question of an "enemy power" is actually the crux of the > > dispute here. Keynes, in keeping with general liberal sentiments at the > > time and vindicated by history, took the view that it was foolish for > > France and Britain to try to treat Germany as an enemy-to-be-crushed rather > > than a partner-to-be-rehabilitated. The only possible consequence of > > crushing the German economy would be to compel the Germans to overthrow the > > treaty and thus start a new war. > > This is roughly what eventually happened, and obviously in the late-1940s > > the Western allies took a different approach, which paid off. I don't know > > if any key Truman administration advisors were seduced by sexy German > > conference representatives. Perhaps someday we'll learn that was the real > > story of the Marshall Plan, in which case I think we'd have to be thankful > > for the emergence of a sentiment that could transcend petty nationalism. > > > > -- > > Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way > > and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. > > _______________________________________________ > > pen-l mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > > _______________________________________________ > > pen-l mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > > > > -- > Cheers, > > Tom Walker (Sandwichman) _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
