Economics
I am not satisfied that, as a field, Economics has satisfactorily addressed the criticisms that Diane Coyle dismisses as old “straw men” and even she admits that on many of these, progress remains to be made. That said, she raises additional, meritorious criticisms. One criticism she fails to meaningfully address is that apart from issues of race and gender,[1] Economics fails to address class diversity, a problem truly at the heart of the field and, indeed, a remaining problem among those she dismisses as old “straw men:” Economists’ love of theory and utilitarian ethics led them to think capitalism is wonderful even as it has been brutal to far too many who, like me, have been left to reside all too near capitalism’s ass.
Diane Coyle, “What Critics of Economics Get Wrong,” Chronicle of Higher Education, October 5, 2021, https://www.chronicle.com/article/what-critics-of-economics-get-wrong
Infrastructure
Julia Ioffe, “Democrats, Republicans, and the Media Squabble in a Post-Trump Malaise,” Puck, October 4, 2021, https://puck.news/democrats-republicans-infrastructure-squabble/
Greg Sargent, “Biden’s frustration with Manchin and Sinema captures a dark truth,” Washington Post, October 5, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/05/biden-manchin-sinema-frustration-reconciliation/
David Siders, “‘Her calculation is off’: Sinema dares the left to take her out,” Politico, October 5, 2021, https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/05/sinema-arizona-democrats-congress-515108
- [1]Diane Coyle, “What Critics of Economics Get Wrong,” Chronicle of Higher Education, October 5, 2021, https://www.chronicle.com/article/what-critics-of-economics-get-wrong↩