That is the new Daron Acemoglu paper, and he is skeptical about its overall economic effects. Here is part of the abstract: Using existing estimates on exposure to AI and productivity improvements at the task level, these macroeconomic effects appear nontrivial but modest—no more than a 0.71% increase in total factor productivity over 10 years.…
“The Simple Macroeconomics of AI”
“The Simple Macroeconomics of AI”
21 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economic growth, entrepreneurship, human capital, industrial organisation, labour economics, labour supply, macroeconomics, poverty and inequality Tags: artificial intelligence
Hamas rejects cease-fires
21 Apr 2024 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror

Ninth Circuit Rules Against Seattle in Using “Heckler’s Veto” in Arrest of Pro-Life Protester
21 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: abortion law reform, free speech, political correctness, regressive left

We have often discussed how cities and universities will use the threat of protests to block or shutdown free speech, particularly of conservative speakers or groups. We now have a major decision out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that could prove an important precedent in resisting the growing anti-free […]
Ninth Circuit Rules Against Seattle in Using “Heckler’s Veto” in Arrest of Pro-Life Protester
MICHAEL BASSETT: MAORI PUSH FOR PARALLEL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES
21 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economics of bureaucracy, income redistribution, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, public economics Tags: constitutional law
If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have seen calls from one or two Iwi for prior consultation with…
MICHAEL BASSETT: MAORI PUSH FOR PARALLEL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES
The Nivelle Offensive – Carnage At The Chemin Des Dames I THE GREAT WAR …
21 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, war and peace Tags: World War I
Scotland to ditch key climate change target
21 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming Tags: Scotland

By Paul Homewood h/t Joe Public The Scottish government is to ditch its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030.
Scotland to ditch key climate change target
The Pandemic and Swedish Fiscal Policy
21 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, fiscal policy, health economics, macroeconomics, public economics Tags: economics of pandemics, Sweden

When I wrote about long-run policy lessons from the pandemic, I mostly focused on the incompetence of the bureaucrats at the FDA and CDC. I also wrote that Sweden had a very sensible approach. Politicians did not panic. They advised prudence, but kept schools open and did not mandate lockdowns. Interestingly, Sweden also had better […]
The Pandemic and Swedish Fiscal Policy
Wash Post admits reality: ‘Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power’ – U.S. ‘power grid’ being pushed ‘to the brink. Utilities can’t keep up’ – ‘It is staggering’ – But WaPo frets energy shortage ‘threatens to stifle the transition to cleaner energy’
20 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, politics - USA
It makes you scratch your head and wonder how we ended up in this situation.
Wash Post admits reality: ‘Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power’ – U.S. ‘power grid’ being pushed ‘to the brink. Utilities can’t keep up’ – ‘It is staggering’ – But WaPo frets energy shortage ‘threatens to stifle the transition to cleaner energy’
Response from Devin Pope, on religious attendance
20 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
All of this is from Devin Pope, in response to Lyman Stone (and myself). Here was my original post on the paper, concerning the degree of religious attendance. I won’t double indent, but here is Devin and Devin alone: “I’m super grateful for Lyman’s willingness to engage with my recent research on measuring religious worship…
Response from Devin Pope, on religious attendance
19 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, economic growth, economic history, fiscal policy, great depression, history of economic thought, labour economics, macroeconomics, monetarism, monetary economics, unemployment
A different view of the pyramids in Egypt.
19 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture Tags: Egypt
Berkeley Prosecutors Cut Probation Deal for Scientist Who Tried to Kill Colleague
19 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics Tags: crime and punishment, law and order
I have been a criminal defense attorney for my entire career, but there is a case out of Berkeley, California that is a real head scratcher. David Xu was the chief metallurgist for a company called Berkeley Engineering and Research (BEAR) and was caught on tape trying to poison a colleague. His actions are blamed […]
Berkeley Prosecutors Cut Probation Deal for Scientist Who Tried to Kill Colleague
What Time Is The Protest March To The Iranian Embassy?
18 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of religion, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, war and peace Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Waddayu mean Nothing planned. Surly hundreds of drones rockets including some quite big ones will get the Mintos out protesting the assault on a little democratic nation in the Middle East. The barrage of hundreds of weapons including drones, rockets including some large ones were thwarted by IDF countermeasures with only under 1% reaching Israeli […]
What Time Is The Protest March To The Iranian Embassy?

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