tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post1061097777849378114..comments2024-03-20T13:10:11.477+05:30Comments on nanopolitan: WTF: Wealth of nationsAbihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790560045313883673noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-59533626775163771712006-11-06T17:00:00.000+05:302006-11-06T17:00:00.000+05:30Raghram Rajan's ideas at:
http://www.theglobalist....Raghram Rajan's ideas at:<br />http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=5475<br />Came to this article through one of the comments after Thoma's commentary.gaddeswaruphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509075029154476375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-79066764206526598112006-11-06T03:23:00.000+05:302006-11-06T03:23:00.000+05:30Abi,
Sorry, I had missed this one. I had read onl...Abi,<br /><br />Sorry, I had missed this one. I had read only his NYT artcile and not his blogpost. Fair enough, economically just focussing on saving lives can actually lead to lower standards of living, to advocate we should not do it, is something else.<br /><br />Since you pointed it ou, I must join you in saying WTF.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-20257004054519777952006-11-05T23:28:00.000+05:302006-11-05T23:28:00.000+05:30Confused: If all that economics (and, economists) ...Confused: If all that economics (and, economists) can do is to just give justifications for letting people just die (and for 'active' non-intervention), I don't know about you, but it makes me go WTF. Take this sentence (quoted in the post as well):<br /><br />"He [Greg Clark] makes the startling claim that gains in health are the worst thing we can bring to modern Africa."<br /><br />I will say it again: WTF? If you want to wonder and marvel at the logic of it all, please go ahead; I won't bother you. <br /><br />Swarup: My understanding is that modern economics lays stress not only on good institutions, but also on designing the right kind of incentives. Things such as quality of labor, human capital, IQ, etc. are secondary in that right policy environment can be created to help build these capabilities. <br /><br />Do please read <a href="http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2006/11/what_makes_a_na.html">Thoma's post</a>, and the comments there. There's a lot of ideas there.Abihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06790560045313883673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-22078428444258641082006-11-05T19:25:00.000+05:302006-11-05T19:25:00.000+05:30Abi, I browsed throuh bits of Clark's book. It see...Abi, I browsed throuh bits of Clark's book. It seems readable but even without a thorough reading, I have doubts that poor labour quality is the cause of divergence and will continue to be. In his main example, he is comparing the productivity of American labour and Indian labour in cotton mills around the beginning of 20th century. He does not talk about democracy, colonialism or nutrition; just that they had comparable equipment. In any case, these perhaps change with time and he does not talk about current rates of productivity. Steve Sailor and some others in Marginal Revolution comments seem to be trying to connect it to IQs. Building of good institutions and descipline seem to be required but I am not sure about Clark's pessimisic analysis. There is also an online book by Brad DeLong which is more non-commital. These comments are very tentative; I may have a better idea if I read the book.gaddeswaruphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509075029154476375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-41478083248682581632006-11-05T03:31:00.000+05:302006-11-05T03:31:00.000+05:30Abi,
The question is: Do you disagree with what h...Abi,<br /><br />The question is: Do you disagree with what he is saying or merely disgusted by the implication? If your answer with the former, then why? Please note, no one is saying that lives should NOT be saved, if anyone is making that argument, please point out to me and I would join you in saying WTF.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com