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Liberals: I am looking for the best website to read and listen to liberal economists?
So, this is not a troll question at all. I am a Libertarian for the most part (though I do disagree with hardcore Libertarians on some issues), and I read many informative websites that give me "free market/Libertarian" commentary on economic issues (both current and historic). However, it is my goal to ensure that I am getting my information from all perspectives (left, right, and center) so that I can come as close to the facts as I possibly can (I believe all information is biased to one degree or another). Whatever my perspective is on an issue, I never want to be under informed/misinformed. I also thinks it helps to limit, not eliminate, the natural bias everyone falls victim to. I read many Libertarian sites such as www.mises.org, economicpolicyjournal.com, zerohedge.com along with others. I am looking for similar sites that can provide me with the liberal perspective/viewpoint (preferably from someone with an economics background who can get into the more advanced issues, factors, and data. Haha I'm an economics nerd so I love all of that no matter the perspective). I already read Paul Krugman, so I am looking for other perspectives. Who knows? If the material is convincing enough I may become a Liberal. Highly doubtful, but here is your chance to try and convert someone who will read these sites with an open mind.
P.S. I am interested in sites dealing with current events, but I would also like any sites that have lots of free literature available. I love mises.org because they have tons of famous books on economics by authors such as Ludwig Von Mises and Murray Rothbard available to download and print for free.
P.P.S I think its worth it for you as a Liberal to check out www.mises.org. At the very least you will have a better understanding of the arguments for free markets which will give you a leg up in a debate against someone who is pro free market. Since I am an economics nerd I tend to have an unfair advantage against my liberal friends who don't have the time to do in depth research on economic issues (certainly this happens the other way around as well if a Liberal Economics "nerd" debates and average conservative who is also limited in their available time to do in depth research).
hello: thanks I will check those out.
captain: I told you in my question that I already read Krugman. I'm looking for other perspectives.
To the rest of you: Obviously I fully disagree with the Liberal economic perspective, but I feel it is ones duty to still read it with an open mind. So the joke attempts were just petty and counterproductive. All sides of the political spectrum are guilty of sometimes being petty and counterproductive and its annoying so I call them out on it no matter if they are Liberal, Conservatives, or Libertarians. I used to do that kind of stuff before I realized how uninformed and immature I sounded.
"He Himself of Bablyon": While I appreciate to suggestion, your negative attitude is not welcome. I believe in well informed civil debate, not petty jibes.
Also you should check out the sites I mentioned. You would realize that Alan Greenspan is far from a free market economist. His views on monetary policy are about as left wing/big government as you can get. I honestly and respectfully hope you check out mises.org with an open mind. From my experience, those who refuse to read opposing viewpoints are the people who have the least confidence in the validity of their own beliefs.
"Pull My Finger": Thank you for the well informed and respectful response. I am definitely going to dig into the stuff you suggested and will take your advice as far as the reading order. Don't worry it won't bore me. I love reading the opposing perspectives, especially when they are written by someone who, even if I disagree with them, is well informed and can support their views. I love challenging myself in all aspects of life. I am not a professional economist so I love the challenge of having to read the opposing view of someone who has studied the issue extensively, in the end I feel more confident in my beliefs since I am forced to really look at the counterpoints and support my views against them. I am also very excited about the revival of the Libertarian Right and Left and their ability to cross the aisle and make things happen where they agree. Let's fix the things we agree on and then worry about the ones we disagree on.
7 Answers
- ArnieLv 78 years ago
The trouble with liberals is just that they know so much that isn't so.
They seem to have abandoned logic and reason.
They are Advocates of a policy that empowers a strong federal government to enslave its people with the high tax burden incident to the support of extravagant and unnecessary social programs destructive to both the work ethic among the lower class, and the incentive to innovate and succeed among the working people .
=
- Anonymous8 years ago
Best websites to go to are those outside of your own nation as you get some harsh critics of USA from other nations newspapers around the world. One place to start would be The New Zealand Herald Newspaper, in New Zealand; they are online like the New York Times is, and you can subscribe to them.
- hironymusLv 78 years ago
Try Google under Fantasy and Science Fiction. Just remember it's all made up stuff, no relation to real life.
- Pull My FingerLv 78 years ago
I know mises.org. I have a link to an article from mises.org in my reply.
I'm very, very similar to you, only I'm just on the other side of the spectrum. I am a left-liberal with strong sympathies for parts of the libertarian right. There are things I like about the libertarian right very much, and so most of the left-liberal economic texts I could recommend as my favorites would not be representative of most left-liberals, because they actually say very similar things to right-libertarians, but they look through a slightly different lens. Also, it's been awhile since I've dwelled on left-liberal literature because I find sitting in an echo chamber filled with my own views is painfully boring.
Lately, I've been very excited about those who are doing some syntheses between leftist, libertarian socialism and right-libertarians. Some of them call themselves "left-libertarians," but they are free market libertarians, so can't let the term "left-libertarian" confuse you.
My favorite is Kevin Carson, and his essay "The Iron Fist Behind the Invisible Hand:"
http://www.mutualist.org/id4.html
And his essay, "Contract Feudalism:"
Also, Charles W. Johnson (aka "Radgeek") -- one of his best-known articles is "Scratching By:"
http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/scratching-b...
And Joseph Stromberg's "The Role of State Monopoly Capitalism in the American Empire:"
http://mises.org/journals/jls/15_3/15_3_3.pdf
See also the work of Roderick Long, Sheldon Richman, Wally Conger, Samuel E. Konkin III, and the like for a very different kind of right-libertarianism. You can also check out the websites for the Alliance of the Libertarian Left, and for the Center for a Stateless Society.
That said (I really am a left-liberal, I swear), all my recommendations would likely look pretty loony to a right-libertarian. It's like telling a left-winger to start with Rothbard's "Man, Economy, and State" (which I confess I haven't even gotten halfway through...yet). So I'll try to put them in order from least to most extreme. I've also tried to stick to representative texts, not stuff like Kevin Carson, who is definitely not a left-wing liberal - I'm trying to choose mainstream liberal or democratic socialist stuff:
My two favorite left-liberal magazines are Z magazine and ISR. For books:
"The Corporation" by Joel Bakan (also see the documentary of the same name - it's on YouTube in 23 "convenient" installments - here's the first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pin8fbdGV9Y ) But you can also get it on Netflix.
On the environment, PR, & corporations: "Toxic Sludge Is Good For You!" - Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber
"The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein (Kevin Carson wrote a good piece about this book)
He's more emotional appeals, but crucial to many leftists -- Howard Zinn, "Passionate Declarations" (that's my favorite, but most libs love "People's History of the United States" - it's an absolute classic of left-liberal history)
Noam Chomsky, "Profit Over People." (Also, "Manufacturing Consent" is a left-lib classic on the corporate media. See also "What Uncle Sam Really Wants," and "Government in the Future")
Most extreme/ left-lib economics that will hurt your brain - I'm not saying I agree with all of this book or its positions, but it is very influential among libertarian socialists and the far, far left -- "Parecon: Life After Capitalism" by Michael Albert. Please don't read this first. It will look like Martian talk without warming yourself up a little. It's like how leftists should start with the Uncle Eric series or something to loosen them up. I started with Frank Chodorov. I didn't agree with him on some things, but I liked him in spite of myself.
Good luck. I hope my suggestions don't bore you.
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- Anonymous8 years ago
stupid.com
libs' #1 site to go to for news
