For those who have been harmed by bad economics, regardless of economists "ah ha" moments are the victims. I will not presume to tell families who are victims to be gentle to the people who killed their loved ones. That is a privileged position no one should feel comfy preaching
When you support the delicate sensibilities of orthodox economists over the pain and suffering of their victims you are doing this wrong no matter how many "likes" you get
I want to make something very clear and then I am going to go on a social media hiatus for a bit. Not sure how long. Probably relatively short, so this is about soul searching.
We talk about the past 50 yrs of the neoliberal era. We talk in academic terms. We are almost smitten w/ hero worship over academics & folks who get this subject & get it right. Who write books, give lectures &write witty tweets. Who make the case 4 a kinder, gentler way forward.
But I didn't get into activism to bow down in hero worship. I got into it because I was suffering. I saw many friends suffering. I read about millions suffering. Millions dying. Millions sick w/out healthcare. Drowning in private debt. Millions losing homes due to foreclosure.
The reason? Bad academics. Bad economists. Bad politicians. Bad media.
A bad system of information distribution & murder. Institutionalized and acceptable murder. Because of their sensibilities, we are being told to 'be effective' we must be accommodating to murderers. The very people who killed people.
We see a poor black guy rob a store and shoot one guy, it becomes front page news and he is a villain. He is a murderer. There is very little disagreement. He is acceptable to be hated. To be outed. To be cast in prison. To be put to death for his crimes.
But not the economists who kill scores of people with austerity. Not the 'misguided' politicians who pass laws to reduce the deficit and kill scores of people.
No... Instead... It is acceptable to hate and rage about a guy who pulls the trigger on a gun while being told to be gracious in allowing mainstream orthodox economists and politicians room to have a clean slate and not have to be held accountable for the death they caused.
I cannot take that anymore. I am told my concerns are not "being expressed in a constructive and effective manner" and petit bourgeoisie economists, academics and wealth people who do not have to worry about losing everything are in the right.
I want to change who is seen as a perpetrator and who is the victim.
I am tired of the desperate people at the bottom always being demonized and the economists being given white gloves treatment after their advisory roles to push deficit reduction that killed many.
I am tired of the desperate people at the bottom always being demonized and the economists being given white gloves treatment after their advisory roles to push deficit reduction that killed many.
Social murder it is called. They murderer hundreds of thousands and millions over time. But are given white glove treatment and activists are tone policed in the name of "being effective".
It's utterly shameful that tone policing occurs. Who apologizes and makes amends? Reparations for centuries of economic terrorism?
Until I can make peace with this tone policing approach petit bourgeoisie economists, academics, white glove activists and politicians who write their own "get out of jail free cards"... I need a break. I need to decide who is the enemy.
And if the enemy is me... Reconsider what I do. Because it is oil and water and I stand firmly with the victims and the dying and don't give a flying fuck if academics or petit bourgeoisie activists are offended at this point and not sure how to process it.
