Gregory Clark is an idiot

Greg Clark, chair of the UC Davis Econ department, admits he's an idiot:

I myself was so confident of the consensus of the end of the business cycle that I persuaded my wife after the collapse of Lehman Brothers to invest all her retirement savings in the stock market, confident that the Fed would soon make things right and we could profit from the panic of a gullible public. The line "Where is my money, idiot?" is her's.

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There's a big difference between an economic historian and a trader. But kudos for honesty!

Does this reduce your confidence level in other claims that Clark makes?

Are you willing to outsource your due diligence on topics like the Malthusian trap to him?

Does this reduce your confidence level in other claims that Clark makes?

yes. but modulated by:

There's a big difference between an economic historian and a trader. But kudos for honesty!

A Farewell to Clarks: The lineages of the foolish, reckless, and overly optimistic will tend to become extinct due to the catastrophic and widespread loss of transgenerational extrasomatic capital. Within a handful of generations the genes of those who were risk averse and pessimistic during this downturn will dominate the North American gene pool, forever changing our national character.

But surely the foolish, reckless, and overly optimistic will have more children during an economic downturn, and thus gain a selective advantage? ;)

"If you got a A in college in Econ 1 you are an expert in this debate: fully an equal of Summers and Geithner." Cheeky bugger; I consider myself far superior to those two numpties.

By bioIgnoramus (not verified) on 17 Feb 2009 #permalink

I haven't lost a nickel. Does that affect my credibility?

Hey, it ain't easy to make money - Newton, the madness of men, etc.

"Within a handful of generations the genes of those who were risk averse and pessimistic during this downturn will dominate the North American gene pool, forever changing our national character."

rather, those sperm donors popular in the embryo transplantation industry will dominate the North American gene pool.

Cochran - first, tell me where the g*d*m Neanderthals are, and then tell me where you invest your g*d*m money, NOW!

By Crocasian (not verified) on 18 Feb 2009 #permalink

sir,

vulgarity is unbecoming of a gentleman! perhaps if you comported yourself with civility and exhibited a modicum of grace dr. cochran would deign to respond. yet as it is such a coarse and common exhibition should yield you no results!

yours truly,

c.v. snicker