SilasBarta comments on Mathematicians and the Prevention of Recessions - Less Wrong

8 Post author: JonahSinick 25 May 2013 04:12AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (131)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: SilasBarta 26 May 2013 10:56:14PM *  2 points [-]

I would say your language is at least as unrecognizable if you're going to propose measures to stop people from hoar... not spending money fast enough, while saying the problem "isn't about that" (another red flag term), but instead "really about" this other new thing you just brought up.

Regardless, about that thing: yes, it certainly sucks when you can't retroactively change the numbers in a contract you signed, and don't understand how it embrittles your business plan to guarantee a stream of payments like that. However, sane policies should not favor those who failed to plan against eventualities, nor are sane economies predicated thereon.

I'm afraid that you do have to employ the concept of hoarding (or some isomorphic one) when you want to claim that welfare-enhan... positive sum trades are maximized when NGDP grows at n% like clockwork, regardless of how unmoored the economy has become, for some value of n that Sumner pulled out of thin air.