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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Scott Sumner Has Now Written 2001 Posts

     Actually even here I have him beat-this post I'm writing now is my 2007th post-and this only going back to June, 2011. So I've written more in 2 years than he has in 4. To be sure there's more to life than volume-and in all seriousness I give him kudos. I am better for having read him.

     "That’s right, this is my 2001st post.  Many of the early posts were quite long, and hence there are over 3000 pages of single-spaced material in my Microsoft Word file.  That’s got to be longer than In Search of Lost Time!"

     "A former student of mine named Garrett MacDonald read my entire blog over the winter break between semesters.  And he actually wrote summaries of about 300 posts.  I include the link here, an case anyone wants to skim them in search of a particular post.  I hope to better organize my blog this summer."

     "I only recently found out about his marathon reading session, and asked him if he noticed any pattern.  In my view the blog has gotten worse over time; when I go back and look at the earlier posts I feel like I’ve lost a step.  The earlier ones seem more thoughtful.  Baseball players max out at age 27.  I’m not sure about bloggers, but it’s clearly younger than 57 (my current age.)"


     I've been quite tired of Sumner's triumphalism lately. Here was Scott this morning after the lower unemployment 

      "Another day, another data point suggesting a zero fiscal multiplier:
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to its lowest level in nearly 5-1/2 years last week, signaling labor market resilience in the face of fiscal austerity.

     http://www.themoneyillusion.com/?p=21146

     Mainly because it's undeserved. There's really nothing for Sumner to feel triumphant about as no matter what the numbers are they would be better without the sequester.

    And I'm quite disappointed in a comment that the MMer Marcus Nunes left on an earlier piece.

    "Mike. You said:

    Remember that MM is two things:

1. Monetary easing

2. Fiscal austerity (or tightening, contracting, etc.)
You´re just making this up to suit whatever..


     Actually, I haven't made up anything. I very clearly provided a link of where Sumner has said just this. 

     "There are some people claiming that I am “pro-austerity.”  That’s a bit misleading as my position has always been more nuanced:

1.  I favor monetary stimulus combined with fiscal austerity.

2.  If the central bank continues to stubbornly target inflation, I’ve advocated cuts in employer-side payroll taxes and/or the VAT as a way of reducing inflation, and encouraging more monetary stimulus.  So if monetary policy refuses to play ball I’ve advocated effective forms of fiscal stimulus.  I don’t favor ineffectivestimulus, such as bloated military spending merely to give us more “empty GDP calories.”

     http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/05/sumners-nuanced-support-of-austerity.html

     It goes back to that old line that there are none so blind as whose job it is to make sure they do not see-or something like that. 

     Despite this total failure to engage on the part of Sumner, Nunes, and company, I can afford to be judicious and so I will be. Here is the comment I left for Sumner in his 2001st post:

     "On the positive side, I honestly do like and enjoy your blog and have learnt a lot from it. Monetary policy was barely in my consciousness prior to running across Money Illusion in 2011."

     "You don’t seem to much enjoy my visiting your blog but still even if you’re not a fan of mine I want to give credit where credit is due."

     "As to whether the quality of your blog has gone down over time, I’d say on content no. I learnt a lot from your money intro stuff last month, for instance."

     "It does seem to me that you have gotten a lot more hypersensitive to criticism or those commentators who disagree with you. That’s just my perception to be sure."

     "I’d say you do a lot of things well but responding judiciously to those who make arguments you’re not fond of isn’t one of them."

     "In any case I look forward to reading the next 2001."


     I hope Sumner, Nunes, and the other Market Monetarists are taking note. This is what being charitable sounds like. I can only assume that the reason they aren't more charitable is that they can't afford to be. 




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