Lars P. Syll

Economists may not necessarily share the economic and social interests of the true believers and may have a variety of individual psychic states regarding the economic and social effects of the utopia which they cloak with mathematical reason. Nevertheless, they have enough specific interests in the field of economic science to contribute decisively to the production and reproduction of belief in the neoliberal utopia. Separated from the realities of the economic and social...

Erdoğan hat die Demokratie endgültig abgeschafft Am Sonntagabend sah ich Monteverdis Die Krönung der Poppea in der Berliner Staatsoper, eine mythische Geschichte aus dem Intrigenpalast von Kaiser Nero. Bei der Krönungsszene am Ende liegt die Hälfte der Helden in ihrem Blut am Boden. Anschließend ging ich zum Bebelplatz, wo die Nazis 1933 Bücher ins Feuer geworfen haben. Ich versuchte, mir diese Nacht der Bücherverbrennung vor 85 Jahren zu vergegenwärtigen...

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Mainstream economics and neoliberalism — what is the difference? Oxford professor Simon Wren-Lewis had a post up some time ago commenting on traction gaining ‘attacks on mainstream economics’: One frequent accusation … often repeated by heterodox economists, is that mainstream economics and neoliberal ideas are inextricably linked. Of course economics is used to support neoliberalism. Yet I find mainstream economics full of ideas and analysis that permits a...

The present state of economics More and more often, confidence in the professional qualifications of individuals representing certain occupational groups which formerly were held in high esteem has started to erode. Dismissing scientific evidence and ignoring expert opinion has become a feature of political discourse around alternative truth. In part this is self-inflicted as various statements that are publicized with the aura of academic certainty do not...

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What’s the use of economics? The simple question that was raised during a recent conference … was to what extent has – or should – the teaching of economics be modified in the light of the current economic crisis? The simple answer is that the economics profession is unlikely to change. Why would economists be willing to give up much of their human capital, painstakingly nurtured for over two centuries? For macroeconomists in particular, the reaction has...

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The captain of an unconquerable soul A hundred years ago, in July 1918, the unconquerable soul of one of the greatest​ men that have walked this earth was born — Nelson Mandela. This poem helped him keep​ hope alive for​ 27 years in prison. Long live his memory. [embedded content]​ Il cittadino medio 100 anni fa non credeva ci fosse alcuna possibilità di migliorare le proprie condizioni di vita. Persino in una democrazia come gli Stati Uniti la segregazione...