Believing that today’s changes are huge, dwarfing those of the past, reflects an ignorance of history
09 Jun 2016 Leave a comment
Creative destruction in personal computing platforms
09 Jun 2016 Leave a comment
in economic history, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, survivor principle, technological progress Tags: creative destruction, desktops, entrepreneurial alertness, PCs, smartphones
Who said mobile phone networks were not contestable?
31 May 2016 Leave a comment
in industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand, survivor principle, technological progress Tags: anti-trust economics, barriers to entry, competition law, creative destruction, network goods, The meaning of competition
Source: New Zealand Commerce Commission.
Washington D.C.’s disastrous new streetcar line
21 May 2016 Leave a comment
in technological progress, transport economics Tags: buses, celebrity technologies, light rail
How far can you go with your #Tesla using only their superchargers in USA and Europe?
17 May 2016 Leave a comment
in technological progress, transport economics Tags: electric cars, Tesla
Household penetration of major electrical appliances, 1963, USA, Western Europe and Down Under
10 May 2016 Leave a comment
in applied welfare economics, economic history, technological progress Tags: good old days, pessimism bias, the standards
Michael Reddell stumbled across a fascinating 1965 research paper in an old bookshop. In addition to re-blogging his post, I charted the data he found on household penetration of major electrical appliances in the good old days of the regressive left when everyone was equal, in a union and happy.
Source: New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (1965), Electric Household Durable Goods: Economic Aspects of their Manufacture in New Zealand via Twenty companies manufacturing TVs | croaking cassandra.
In the early 1960s, there were really big differences not only the number of TV sets, but much more basic appliances we take for granted such as refrigerators and washing machine.
The three indicators in the chart above suggest that life was much better in the USA, Australia and New Zealand than in Western Europe. Television aside, New Zealand seemed to be better off than Australia.
Watch the video by Hans Rosling about what happened when a washing machine first came to his parent’s house. Truly insightful about how living standards are so much better than those of our parents and grandparents.
Common response to new technology: "Commercial Use In Doubt"
08 May 2016 Leave a comment
in economic history, industrial organisation, survivor principle, technological progress Tags: creative destruction, economics of television, entrepreneurial alertness, pessimism bias
In 1922 Princeton banned students from owning automobiles
07 Apr 2016 1 Comment
in economic history, economics of information, economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, technological progress Tags: doomsday prophets, good old days
Wireless broadband penetration rate in New Zealand vs OECD
03 Apr 2016 Leave a comment
in industrial organisation, technological progress Tags: broadband, creative destruction, technology diffusion
All part of @BernieSanders’ good old days before the top 1% looted everything
26 Mar 2016 Leave a comment
in applied welfare economics, economic history, economics of media and culture, politics - USA, poverty and inequality, technological progress
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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