Some Recent Comments on the NY Times Webpage

For those professors starting to write economics final exams, I suggest that you post the following two comments that were posted on the NY Times webpage.  Ask your students for an evaluation of the logic behind each of them.  Each quote highlights that economists have  failed in our educational mission to foster a society of workers/consumers/voters who understand and appreciate how free markets operate.  Economists of the world, we have more work to do!

RebeccaJonesMD

Brattleboro Vermont 25 minutes ago

There has been a commodification of many necessities: phones, internet, healthcare, housing, healthy food, education; as well as a weakening of regulations that would keep our air and water clean; our food safe; and of course with climate change there is no meaningful regulation that can help us feel secure about our future. These facts are creating stress at so many levels: financial; philosophical; existential. Jobs are just part of it.

Einstein

30 minutes ago

Detroit.

The symbol of 'free-trade' neoliberalism based on foolish Milton Friedman's cruel & selfish economic policies.

Universities have churned out MBAs brainwashed in so-called 'free trade' ideology.

It follows that USA politicians, Republican & Democrats bailed out the banks, and left millions of homes foreclosed.

We expected better from President Obama but we didn't get it.