What should we expect economists to do?

Given the thrashing we've been administering to (Uncle) Thomas Sowell, Cobb steps in with the question of all questions. What good is Thomas Sowell? His answer? Unless we've got somebody better up our sleeve Thomas' plan is as good as any we've got going.

But the thing is, I'm not looking for him to have a plan. I KNOW enough economists personally to know that they--just like most of us political scientists--are far more interested in getting interesting answers published in top notch journals than they are in planning and strategizing. The best public economist for my money is Paul Krugman, but I don't read him for his plans, I read him for his critiques.

So when Cobb asks, Who is better than Sowell? I've got two answers. On the straight academic tip--the only one that matters to me--I'd point to Glenn Loury (who is not only fiercely independent but who HAS published in top tier economic journals), Steven Levitt (who, while not black still asks novel questions about black urban life with novel data), even Roland Fryer. My real money is probably on Bomani if his ass would get his dissertation finished. But again, I'm not looking for plans from any of these joes. I'm looking for interesting questions, interesting answers, theoretical novelty, and fit (that is, the answers plausibly respond to social reality).

To that degree, Sowell doesn't pass the smell test. Period. And it doesn't matter whether anyone is better as far as "planning". Kind of like asking who was a better point guard, Mike Piazza or Tiger Woods. What the hell would we ask that question for? We've talked over and over here about how we're trying to come up with an independent mode of black leadership, a form of leadership that revolves around cell based organization.

Why would we want a two bit economist who has written the same book for the last thirty years without a journal article to his name, participate in that project? Check out what Brad Delong has to say about Levitt. We can quibble about the details, but this is what I'm looking for in an economist. Does Sowell even come close to this type of greatness? On the best day of his life...not even close.

Next.

Comments

[DarkStar]

Oh, this is fun!

[Juliette]

Yes, it is.