11-04-2013, 05:45 PM
(11-03-2013, 04:47 AM)FireIceTalon Wrote: Tis waz a plezzure 2 wotch dees.
Neoclassical ekonomiks is dee "Intelleegent Dezign" of ekonomik teory. Hehe.
When I hear something compared to ID, I think of a model that is unfalsifiable, untestable, and non-predictive; that is a Just-so Story. I don't get the impression that this is the case. The assumptions of neoclassical economics have come under scrutiny; I even remember a radio story recently about a study that specifically countered the "People act rationally" assumption. The predictive quality of the model seems (at least to me) something that can be assessed. If the model is bad, I would sooner celebrate a superior model than I would dance on the grave of a poor one. But since you live your life as our local Marxist soothsayer, I see where you're coming from.
Economics is no more dastardly than nuclear physics, even though our understanding of these has led world leaders to drop nukes and CEOs to become Ferengi. My understanding is that economists (and, incidentally, meteorologists) have the difficult job of attempting to create models of chaotic systems; I don't think that their goal is to sit around stroking cats while cackling at the wealth gap they've colluded with politicians to engineer. Solid economic models could be useful to everyone, not just exploitative Ferengi min/maxers.
Maybe you could collaborate with Studio Ghibli someday to make a "Grave of the Invisible Hand" about two orphaned children struggling to survive as their village is destroyed by neoclassical economics. I think neoclassical economics would be depicted as a pokemon sort of creature, maybe a ghost/psychic deceased Meowth. The story would need some delicate writing to ensure that tears will jerk in the right ways when you see the children trying to use scrounged change to buy things in an economic climate of runaway inflation while being unaware of the classism they experience as scavengers with no name, no house, and no honor. ;_;
-Lem