Who's your favorite Economist?

So, I ask you economically inclined ATS members, who is your favorite economist?

With this, please explain why, what school of thought he/she represents, and what or who did you learn of this person from.

This can also mean who is your favorite philosopher or even politicians. As 'economist' is a pretty loosely defined term, it could mean anyone who effected the way people interact on an economic level. So one could say Adam Smith or even Joseph Smith if you can provide a reason why. It truly doesn't matter as long as the person has had an impact on peoples socio-economic interactions or has had an impact on your understanding of them. I guess even Ron Paul, a politician, could be considered a valid answer, but only if you haven't read any of the books on his must-read list.

As for mine.....

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Murray Rothbard is mine. By a long shot. His prolific writings and speeches are canon for anyone who even remotely considers their political or philosophic views to be libertarian.

My favorite books of his are as follows...

Man, Economy, and State- This is a must read for anyone. It will fundamentally change the way you look at things.

The Mystery of Banking- a more intellectual, and technical book. Not a passive read by any stretch but it brings to light many issues of the world of banking. It is, for me, the moment I found the man behind the curtain, to use a Wizard of Oz reference.

The Panic of 1819- This was his doctoral dissertation at Columbia and is the only book on the subject. For me, it was a look in the past to see better the future. His book "America's Great Depression" is the same for me. We cannot expect a future if we don't learn from the past.

Honorable mentions are "The Betrayal of the American Right", which describes perfectly what happened to liberty minded individuals in the right, and "An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought" which is a great journey into the past.

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Overall, Rothbard bestowed upon me his sense of beauty and holistic historical perspective. "Beauty" being the only word I can use to describe it. Its the beauty of the machine of the market (the whole of peaceful human interaction) all working, buzzing, and humming in unison. It is like witnessing the cogs and mechanics of a grandfather clock or the pistons in an engine. The beauty is his sense of reverence and aw at the sight of peaceful human interactions and the checks and balance it provides and the optimism for a better future.


[edit on 14-5-2010 by DINSTAAR]

Malthus.

He inspired visions of a future spent morosely munching on a femur grilled over a garbage-can of flaming telephone books, warding off interlopers and grubby street-urchins looking to cage an undeserved bite or two from one's hard-earned daily sustenance..

[edit on 5/14/10 by silent thunder]

All i know who is my least fav one, and thats Gordon Brown, who used to be british pm.

reply to post by silent thunderAh, dear old Robert. How I wish I had a time machine. Then I could go back, kick him in the nuts really hard, steal his gold watch & say, "Survival of the fittest, old chap. Nothing personal. You should keep your eyes peeled!"OP, I dont have a favourite, I'm more into individual ideas than overall theories. I'll have a think & come back.

Peter Schiff.

Called the recent financial downfalls down to a T, was laughed at by all the talking heads but he has called things right so many times I really listen to what he has to say.

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by DINSTAAR


Personally, for money reasons I would choose my daughter because she can save money better than anyone I know.

As far as a pholocipher or anyone I would look up to then hands down, Jesus Christ. He is more to me than anyone on this earth. Without Him, I won't learn or have anyone to follow!

Peace!

reply to post by DINSTAAR


Mischief springs from the power which the moneyed interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control, from the multitude of corporations with exclusive privileges... which are employed altogether for their benefit.

Andrew Jackson

Unless you become more watchful in your states and check the spirit of monopoly and thirst for exclusive privileges you will in the end find that... the control over your dearest interests has passed into the hands of these corporations.

Andrew Jackson

When asked what his greatest accomplishment had been during his two terms as President, Andrew Jackson replied "I killed the Bank." He was talking about the "Second Bank of the United States", which was our country's second central bank.

Why the United States Bank was Closed

Milton Friedman

Initially a Keynesian economist, he eventually came to oppose Keynes ideas, and is a huge free market advocate. He warns against government micromanagement, explaining the obvious, which is when the people realize that the government is doing such micromanaging they adjust their behavior and essentially neutralize what the government is trying to accomplish. His book Free to Choose, was not just an economic book, but an important advocacy of libertarian freedom.

It was Friedman who advocated an all volunteer army, competition for the U.S. Post Office, and deregulation. Of course, for my money, no regulation would be better, but what can you expect from a man who started out as a Keynesian idealist? During the 1990's this clear headed thinker become more and more vocal about the damage of the so called "war on drugs", and wrote in an open letter to then Drug Czar, Bill Bennet:

"The path you propose of more police, more jails, use of the military in foreign countries, harsh penalties for drug users, and a whole panoply of repressive measures can only make a bad situation worse. The drug war cannot be won by those tactics without undermining the human liberty and individual freedom that you and I cherish."

Both he and his wife Rose, created the The Milton and Rose D. Foundation that is dedicated to promoting parental choice in schooling.

"Reliance on the freedom of people to control their own lives in accordance with their own values is the surest way to achieve the full potential of a great society."

~Milton & Rose Friedman in Free To Choose (1980)~

reply to post by Jean Paul Zodeaux


I like the way you think!