Josh asked a very good question earlier. Where in the hell is Joseph Stiglitz?
Is there something wrong with being RIGHT about everything that has gone on with this economy over the past decade and more? Is there something wrong with not only endorsing Obama during the primaries but actually being more than qualified for a top level job? Is there something wrong with being a progressive economist (and trust me, I am someone who is staunchly against anyone getting mad about someone not being a "dyed-in-the-wool" progressive)? Is there something wrong with winning a Nobel Prize in Economics?
I hear that Summers and Stiglitz can't stand each other's guts. Oh well, suck it up and get to work. I think Obama's team is fantastic both in Economics and Foreign Policy but I truly hope we hear this name in the coming weeks with a spot in an Obama administration (that new council headed by Paul Adolph Volcker would be an alright spot to place him in). I won't say I would be mad or anything of the sort if he isn't. I will just be a bit...................suprised
We need to be using some 'big' expansive vision in digging our way out of this economic mess so we don't end up creating temporary solutions that land us back in the crater. I agree that if we leave someone like Stiglitz out we are limiting the 'view' and someone who sees things so clearly, personality conflicts or not, should definitely have their voice in the mix.
December 5, 2008 10:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stiglitz should be on the team; his absence is either an incredible oversight, or he declined an offer. Neither good for the country.
December 5, 2008 11:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Go Joe!
December 5, 2008 11:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Short and sweet.
Nice to "see" you Q.
December 6, 2008 12:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
My mistake for not linking the article on the front page but in it a Stiglitz aid said he hasn't even been contacted for a job. So sad....
December 6, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wish I remember what thread it was on, but Ellen posted a very nice link to a video Stiglitz talk in Germany..runs over an hour, but a nice exposure to this thinker.
December 6, 2008 12:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Very much agree. Obama's econ team strikes me as not being very diverse in viewpoints, which I think is a mistake. Also, the people he has chosen were generally in favor of the financial deregulation that has turned out so badly so I doubt that they're the best we could do on the reregulation front. That's where I think Stiglitz' absence hurts the most.
December 6, 2008 12:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Where the hell is Paul Krugman?
December 6, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joseph Stiglitz has a home page that lists all the articles he has written and interviews of him regarding the current situation. What Barack Obama has been saying is a mirror image of what Stiglitz has been saying. Stiglitz and Robert Reich say virtually the same thing: Obama needs to react swiftly and boldly on Green projects, health care, and to create employment that gets money in people's pockets. Stiglitz makes specific suggestions as to needed reforms of the financial markets that, one assumes, will be put in place under Obama. Where is Joseph Stiglitz? He is in the thick of it. Why hasn't he been given some kind of official appointment? Apparently Larry Summers loathes him for personal, rather than professional reasons.
December 6, 2008 6:18 PM | Reply | Permalink