Mood:
lucky400 people have amassed personal assets equivalent to that of 150,000,000 of their countrymen. When Frodo first heard these numbers, and his boyhood thoughts of wealth redistribution as a worthwhile aspect of the social agenda stopped short of a new eruption, he began to wonder what kind of statistical malaise confronted Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? Obviously, dear reader, her demise was hastened by her suggestion that cake replace bread, and it has made Frodo wonder if a repeat couldn't follow upon the musings of young Senators Paul and Cruz, et al.
The behavioral sciences have elevated economics to a leadership position among the sociologists, the anthropologists, the political scientists. The mathematical applications reveal exact results when the variables are clearly and scientifically identified. Although political science has made great strides (a la Nate Silvert) there is too great a human whim involved to ignore the facts of economics. The problem remains that the "moment" cannot be captured by the economist. That is why "irrational exuberance" and "Keynesian" and "Laffer Curve" all have relevance, in the grand scheme, but are virtually worthless as stand alone subjects of study. At least as far as Frodo is concerned.
Just when he thinks that he's gotten a grip on all of this, by adopting the long-term analyses of Paul Krugman, Frodo watches Krugman get shredded into chopped liver by someone like Joe Scarborough. Sigh. Had Krugman responded by saying that the finite statistics are bound to change over time, and as variables, well, vary, then Frodo would've laughed off the rantings of the right. The result is, however, that the fat old white guys are not about to give up the fight.
After all, that's why they got the money in the first place.
