mcwilliam and lenihan

Caveat said:

I know he is very media present, but are other economists getting a say anywhere? Maybe they are and they just off my radar...

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Constantine what’s-his-face called things about right over the last few years and he hasn't turned into a celebrity economist/pundit.

I've just being thinking about this whole think. McWilliams is being criticised for hosting “The Panel” and being a celebrity. I’ve done it here (I’m sure he doesn’t lose sleep about that I think of him!) and so have others. I suddenly realised I sounded like my mother in law talking about priests going around without their roman collars on. It’s almost as if economists have become the new clergy and McWilliams is engaging in conduct that undermines their high office.

Just because he hosts a comedy news show and/or writes books it doesn’t mean he’s not entitled to his opinion or that his opinion is not valid because of that. I agree that the comments in his books were unprofessional and damaging to his career but other than that he’s hardly put a foot wrong.

I do find his style smarmy and annoying but then again he’s not alone there.

Caveat said:

Heard him on Matt Cooper yesterday. I dunno. It really seemed to me like a lot of his answers were very contrived, politician-like almost - more concerned with sounding omniscient than with giving an informative response some of the time. He's always been like this IMO but he seems to be getting much worse.

I don't know enough about economics to provide anything resembling an in depth critique of what he was saying - and a lot of his views did make sense to me anyway - but where are the other economic commentators? Who agrees or disagrees with him and why? Can they not speak up?

By most accounts DMcW is well informed with very solid background/experience but he isn't God!!

I know he is very media present, but are other economists getting a say anywhere? Maybe they are and they just off my radar...

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Brian lucey,jim fitzpatrick ,the guy from galway whos working for lenihan now ,i think there are plenty of economists on airwaves ,too many maybe.
Too be honest they all sound plausible ,they all believe in their own opinions , they could be right or wrong how can you tell.
Its like listening to doctors arguing over a complex medical case and how to treat it.
I guess the main thing is they have to do something decisive see how it works be prepared to try something different if it doesnt, hoping that the patient survives the attempted treatments !

capall said:

Too be honest they all sound plausible ,they all believe in their own opinions , they could be right or wrong how can you tell.

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Start by questioning who they work for (or have ever worked for).

Staples said:

Start by questioning who they work for (or have ever worked for).

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Exactly, until the global crisis we never really heard on the RTE news any economists who were critical of government policy. They sometimes appeared on Prime Time. With the onset of the global meltdown it became necessary to seek 'real' economists to explain what was happening and it was only then some of the alternative economists became house hold names.

Do you remember 'the fundamentals are sound' 'soft landing' etc from bank economists. If they didn't do their banks bidding they would have been sacked.