Don't You Know?

The there is no difference between the two.  Efficient for whom is a nonsensical statement.
From "MR" this morning:

It is the comment that I am commenting on.

Parking spots as price controls

by Tyler Cowen on March 15, 2012 at 5:49 pm in Economics | Permalink

But not everywhere:

San Francisco is trying to shorten the hunt with an ambitious experiment that aims to make sure that there is always at least one empty parking spot available on every block that has meters. The program, which uses new technology and the law of supply and demand, raises the price of parking on the city’s most crowded blocks and lowers it on its emptiest blocks. While the new prices are still being phased in — the most expensive spots have risen to $4.50 an hour, but could reach $6 — preliminary data suggests that the change may be having a positive effect in some areas.

THE COMMENT THAT I LOVE:


 "They won’t stop at socially efficient prices. They’ll stop at revenue-maximizing prices. The latter may be considerably higher. If income inequality is high and there exists a class of super-rich people (e.g. internet entrepreneurs or venture capitalists), the city might discover that it can raise more revenue by charging one rich guy $25 per hour than by charging five middle-income people $4.50 per hour."


Really?
Do you really think that there is anyone with "middle-income" left in the American city.   These people left right after the second great war.  Cities are just the rich, and people who "service" the rich. Starting the day with a nice pun. 

Last Instance Humanism in Intro Economics Teaching.

"The market does/causes, etc."

A common comment from many of our students. 
It is not really surprising, nor is this a unique complaint in the circles I sometimes run. 

The hegemonic narrative in bourgeois capitalism is "the market decides".  The market is fair, and returns to you what you put into it.  Without getting into the bowels of neoclassical theory, the general public are taught that the market determines our wages, our mortgage rate for our homes, our material well-being in general. 

This is problematic on many levels, but I think especially in the dehumanizing of economic decision making for the introductory student. I have watched students (at least those paying attention) squirm in their seats when return to capital is introduced.  But a 20 minute rant in an intro economics course doesn't solve the larger problem.  How do we move society in the direction of realizing that "we are the market".  Or at least "they control the market"

This is a really important step of realization of class consciousness, but I am lost in terms of how to address it.  Other than one student at a time?

Americana, Baseball and Giant Food

This guy should be proud of himself.


 On the food and beverage staff of the Washington Nationals someone thought this was a good idea?
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/stephen-strasburg-gets-8-pound-hamburger-strasburger-named-053627358.html
This is the blog equivalent of a retweet, I don't have anything to add to this.  What else really needs to be said about an 8lb hamburger?
"Hard to digest" on so many levels....but I do want a giant food named after me some day.

Why we Don't Matter

But we do! the world is overdertermined.  Our actions shape outcomes. 
Bullshit!
We are the proletariat, the sooner we accept it the less painful our lives are!
Tell me I'm wrong, but i know i'm not.
We can all die tomorrow, the world marches on, others will replace us.  We are the sandbag in the face of the hurricane.