In terms of enjoyment, 2011 has been my favorite year of blogging since I started in late October 2008. In late November I hit 1,000 posts and certainly hope to make it to at least 2,000. I went quickly through many of my posts for the year and here are some of my favorite posts.
The Wonder of Markets:
This one on how well things work in New York.
Book Reviews:
My favorite posts that were critical of the books I reviewed are this one that links to my review of Robert Frank and this one that links to my review of Tyler Cowen’s The Great Stagnation. You can’t do justice to my reviews by reading just the posts, though.
My favorite post that was positive about the author’s basic thesis is this one on my review of Alex Field’s book on technological change in the 1930s.
Disagreements with Other Economists and Economic Bloggers:
Here my favorites are on Bob Barro’s flawed analogy, John Nyman’s non sequitur, Steve Levitt’s deficient Daughter Test, and Megan McArdle’s defense of massive tax increases in Illinois.
Pointing out Where People Agree:
Here I particularly like two: this one showing that Austin Frakt, even though apparently criticizing Ron Paul, really is agreeing with him and this one pointing out where Uwe Reinhardt is agreeing with John Goodman about supply restrictions in health care.
Going After Destructive Regulation:
This one on how the FDA is preventing us from getting even legal, approved drugs.
Going After Bureacrats Who Tell Falsehoods:
This one on California bureaucrat Betty Yee, although I should have also criticized the op/ed editor who let the falsehood through.
My favorite posts for the discussions were this one where I nastily went after David Cay Johnston and then, after seeing his comment, apologized for my tone and this one, where I think not a lot of minds were changed but the quality of the discussion was high. Although I don’t know how to categorize this, I always like connecting Hayek’s local knowledge with relevant stories.
Regrets, I’ve Had A Few, and Here I’ll Mention Two:
I didn’t know enough when I criticized Greg Mankiw on Japan (sorry, Greg) or when I talked about the Federal Reserve’s “Secret Handout.”
Happy New Year, everyone.
READER COMMENTS
SkippyMaximus
Dec 31 2011 at 9:11pm
Doc,
Happy New Year to you and your family!!
I’m so very fortunate to call you Professor, and I am a better student every day I get to talk with you.
In the beginning of your class, you ask us all to write who our favorite historical figure is. I put Dwight Eisenhower. My second, though, is who I will quote tonight…
“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.” – Benjamin Franklin
Doc, has been an ultimate pleasure this past year…look forward to some good work this next year!
Bless you and your family!
P.S.– “If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject.” – Ayn Rand
Jeff Hummel
Jan 1 2012 at 5:03pm
David: I don’t think you have any reason for regrets about your Federal Reserve post. The major respect in which the Bloomberg report could be considered misleading is the widely cited $7.7 trillion total for Fed loans. Yet you quoted the one part of the report where it made clear that the Fed had loaned out only $1.2 trillion at any one time.
Ken B
Jan 3 2012 at 2:58pm
I quite enjoyed the review of Cowen’s TGS. I enjoyed the book but was and remain unconvinced we have run out of the inventive driven 20-somethings who drive innovation. I also think he uses a misleading scale in measuring innovation. In terms of the *conceptual content* of change and innovation no century can match Waterloo to Paschendale (and maybe never will). But in terms of the effect on *individual lives* recent times have more change because it has spread beyond a samll population at the centre.
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