But part of the job of economics is weeding out errors. That is much harder than making them, but also more fun.
Robert SolowRead
Why does a public discussion of economic policy so often show the abysmal ignorance of the participants?
Interpretation
The quote highlights the lack of understanding among individuals discussing economic policy.
Robert Solow's quote questions the frequent ineptitude and misunderstanding exhibited by people engaging in public discussions about economic policy. It suggests that despite the significance of these discussions, many participants may lack the necessary knowledge or expertise, which can lead to misguided opinions and ineffective policy deliberation.
In practice
In a debate on national economic policy, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of informed discussions.
The forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
Passive commerce . . . should thus . . . [compel us] to content ourselves with the first price of our commodities, and to see the profits of our trade snatched from us, to enrich our enemies and persecutors. That unequalled spirit of enterprise . . . an inexhaustible mine of national wealth, would be stifled and lost; and poverty and disgrace would overspread a country, which, with wisdom, might make herself the admiration and envy of the world.
The present tax codes inhibit the mobility and formation of capital, add complexities and inequities which undermine the morale of the taxpayer, and make tax avoidance rather than market factors a prime consideration in too many economic decisions.
History proves... that a smart central bank can protect the economy and the financial sector from the nastier side effects of a stock market collapse.
When a nation is over-reliant on one or two commodities like oil or precious minerals, corrupt government ministers and their dodgy associates hoard profits and taxes instead of properly allocating them to schools and hospitals.
The tax on capital gains directly affects investment decisions, the mobility and flow of risk capital from static to more dynamic situations, the ease or difficulty experienced by new ventures in obtaining capital, and thereby the strength and potential for growth of the economy.
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