STEVE KEEN and EVAN JONES in conversation with FRANK STILWELL
In this event to celebrate the publication of Political Economy Now!–the history of the Political Economy struggle at Sydney University–Evan Jones, Frank Stilwell and Steve Keen will discuss the struggles inside the university economics departments and their significance, not only for teaching, but for the world economy itself.
Political Economy Now! by Gavan Butler, Evan Jones and Frank Stilwell is the story of one of the most substantial and enduring conflicts in the history of Australian universities. Beginning in the late 1960s, it pitted those committed to the teaching of mainstream economics at the University of Sydney against the proponents of an alternative program in political economy. It explores issues such as
Thanks again to blog member Evan Harris for compiling this weekly list, and for blog members passing on their suggestions. If you see any article or blog entry that you think deserves recording for posterity, send the link to gfcwrap at gmail.com.
And a reminder for any blog members in Sydney that I’ll be speaking at Politics in the Pub tonight at the Gaelic Club in Devonshire St Surry Hills, starting at 6pm.
The Pool Room – Week Ending Friday 29th May
Australian-Related Links:
Housing & Housing Finance: The View From Australia & Beyond, Luci Ellis [RBA Research], Dec 2006
Australian-Related Links:
Push On To Sell Aussie Bonds, Lucy Battersby, SMH, 18 May
Unsustainable debt? No problem. Ramp up the “effective marketing of debt products” budget, retrain those stiff bureaucrats and don’t mention the debt.
Bond Boost For Big Four Banks, Chris Zappone, SMH, 18 May
Our robust and conservative banking cartel receives another taxpayer-funded profit boost. And “because of the state of the markets there’s less competition than there used to be”! More handouts, less competition, “bank fees soar despite slowdown”, “$1 billion in penalty fees”… never waste a good crisis. And what’s $2m between friends?
Fans of the Australian movie classic “The Castle” will remember the archetypal line “This one’s going straight to the Pool Room”, uttered by the ever-optimistic Darryl Kerrigan whenever he was given a gift. If you haven’t yet seen the movie, consider setting aside a couple of hours to watch it.
Debtwatch’s “Poolroom gifts” come from the media coverage of the Global Financial Crisis. Some are gems–incisive bits of analysis that are an informative read. Others are … well, best characterised as spin, though they range from outright spin, to delusion derived from thinking like a neoclassical economist.
I first heard the best joke about economics in 1975. The teller was the nuclear physicist (and nuclear power advocate) Sir Phillip Baxter, and he told it in answer to a question I had asked at a public forum.
The joke is:
A physicist, a chemist and an economist are shipwrecked on a desert isle, along with a container full of cans of baked beans.
The chemist says that if they can start a fire, he can calculate the temperature at which a can will explode.
In May 1973, dissatisfaction over the teaching of economics at the University of Sydney went from a festering sore amongst the staff only to an outright revolt by a minority of the staff, and a majority of the students. In 1975, a new Department of Political Economy had its first intake into Economics I℗. Thirty four years later, it is still going. Professor Frank Stilwell, who has lived this dispute since 1970, is launching Political Economy Now!, a history of the dispute, next Tuesday at Sydney University’s Fisher Library (May 5th, 5.30pm, Level 5).
Title: “Crunchtime”: Bringing together the best policy minds to discuss Australia’s future
Location: Trades Hall Auditorium, 4 Goulburn St, Sydney NSW
Link out: Click here
Description: The best policy thinkers from Australia and abroad will come together for “Crunchtime” — Australia’s first progressive think-tank conference.
Tax, social policy, the global financial crisis and climate change will be pulled apart by impressive policy minds including Ann Pettifor from Advocacy International in the UK. Ann has written extensively on debt and finance, climate change and international development and was one of the authors of the UK national economic foundation’s Green New Deal.
