A Scholar And A Gentleman

Greg Mankiw - A scholar and a gentleman.  It's a pity so few match his standards. By the end of this essay it should be apparent why I respect him so.

In a recent post he touched on the subject of respect and the blogosphere: http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/r-e-s-p-e-c-t.html


Over on their blogs, Noah Smith and David Henderson have some compelling observations about respect. I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that treating others with respect, regardless of economic or social class, is crucial to a well-functioning civil society. It is also simply good manners. As a personal code of conduct, I have long aimed to treat the guy pumping my gas with the same respect as the President of Harvard (or the United States).

I will take exception with Noah's idea that we should "redistribute respect." Respect is not rival. We can increase the respect for some without diminishing the respect for others.

I will also add that we should also do more to respect those with whom we have political and philosophical disagreements. Sadly, some bloggers like to castigate their ideological opposites with the kind of rude name-calling that they would never do face-to-face.  

While the blogosphere in general is a good thing in many ways, I am afraid that it has often acted to diminish respect for others, reducing the overall level of civility in society.


Coincidentally enough, John Cochrane might have something to say about that too: http://johnhcochrane.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/making-fun-of-peoples-names.html


Paul Krugman is now reduced to making fun of my name.

I was alerted to the fact that we were living in a Dark Age of macroeconomics when the same cockroach put in an appearance at the University of Chicago.

Oh how clever. I haven't heard that one since about, hmm, first grade, circa 1965. (Follow the link if you're not sure who he's talking about.)

Paul continues

Now, some people get all upset by this terminology. Why can’t I be serious and respectful? Well, the answer is that we’re not having a serious conversation

No, the royal "we" are not.

I suppose I should read this as a welcome sign of desperation; that Krugman, having run out of ideas, and unwilling to read the interesting "serious conversation" regarding stimulus that the rest of us are having in the academic literature (say, my own recent modest contribution), is reduced to endlessly flogging the old "Say's law" calumny and now this.

Here are Krugman's similarly profound thoughts about Narayana Kocherlakota's name.