Charlie Rose - Niall Ferguson

[mathproof]

Well, you must be easily amused. Regarding Eton, if I recall correctly, the person with whom I was having the conversation spelled it that way. Should I have check it? Yes. Now, let's just say for the sake of argument that I just misspelled it. That is easy to do and constitutes a mistake rather than a fundamental lack of understanding of how words function in sentences; and based upon that, the correct placement of those words. If you don't know the difference, then you never will.

[Bigum99]

My JOB is being an AMERICAN CONSUMER!

We do doing the world a big service using their crap and keeping those billions of idle hands busy!

As Chairman Moa once said.."Many hands do light work."

[humpingbird]

The efforts made to read some of these comments almost made my head explode.

[Braaaiiinsss]

Who has the time to argue about bullshit in youtube comments? all I wanted was to read some comments on the video. Take it outside you silly kids.

[LongliveSnak2e]

agreed.

[corcaighrebel]

@saaweeet - the dismal science I believe, in fact, its not even a science, guess work, projections and models, bit like sticking your finger in the wind, how many have said 'they never saw the financial crisis coming' - wonderful, economics is the biggest bluff after the 'legal' system and entrepreneurialism

[mathproof]

I guess that you've never had a graduate course on micro theory, where the existence of competitive equilibrium is established using topology, and the separability theorem to name a few.

Oh, there is econometrics, stochastic differential equations, game theory. I could continue.

While not exactly physics, the field does require many auxilary skills which even a fair minded person would categorize as technical.

[control1029]

@mathproof "you've never had a graduate course on micro theory"

Frankly, math and science are two different things. As any 8th grader knows, the value of science is: 1. It's ability to adequately explain a phenomenon in as simple, but not simpler, manner, and 2. predictability.

The dismal science constantly fails the first criteria and when it comes to meaningful predictions, virtually never has anything informative to convey to the public. i.e. where were your theorems on the recent crash?

[mathproof]

The "@mathproof" isn't necessary.

You have a penchant for stating the obvious: math and science aren't equal. Since I have a graduate degree in math, the one difference that I can report is that math classes are more difficult.

There is no real number value for science. That statement indicated either that your young and or not highly educated in science or math.

[control1029]

So you only have one graduate degree Barbie. Clearly you're an underachiever.

I'm sorry you found Math so tough, I guess their won't be any Fields medal then in the future.

I have no idea what "there is no real number value for science" means. Obviously, the reason you chose math, is because you can't write even the simplest of English sentences with any degree of coherence.

Maybe next life grasshopper.

[mathproof]

No, I have graduate degrees in math and econ. At this time, I'm finishing a computational finance degree, too.

On the contrary, I excelled in math. So, your attempt at a slur is both igorant and feeble even by your public school standards.

The real number rebuttal was in response to your statement about the value of science being equal to 1. Do I need to explain the concept of a real number to you? Hmm.

My command of english is wonderful. I know not to use "but" to begin a sentence.

[control1029]

I've got this, I've got that... typically dumb-ass chauvinism. My teachers all gave me happy-faced stickers, when I did-good in Math! Tee-Hee!

You're a punk. When are you going to actually show up a day and work for a paycheck or is Daddy's trust fund endless too? Maybe you'll be working at Goldman Sachs, finding new ways of crashing the economy and screwing over America for the klepto-fascist class.

And yes, the 'but' rule is often used for people who have a weak grasp of English.

[mathproof]

Well, I only told you because you asked.

Regarding the happy faced stickers, teachers don't do that in private schools. So, I have no personal reference for such accolades.

The value of my work is in the results and not the time spent. Perhaps, youre work is different.

The trust fund is doing just fine. One reason is that we shorted the market before the crash.

Your quite right, there is a rule about the proper use of coordinating conjunctions: you should learn it.

[control1029]

Again, its all about you isn't it ass wad. I went to private school, with the Queen's grandson, whose cock I wanked everyday at Eton.

I think Greenspan is a really great chap! I wish that I could lie to the American public with such skill.

No one cares about you, your insipid econometric models, or your ridiculous claims at higher education.

If you want to impress anyone, you and the rest of the Bush-bot blue-bloods can sign up for a tour of duty in the AfPak war, coward.

[mathproof]

Assuming you did attend private school, then you should have spent more time on your studies than with your mouth firmly around Williams cock.

Although, it is good to have people like you around who think that they can fuck their way into the good life. Alas, despite you contribution to Queen and country, your still living in a walk up in Berkshire.

Nothing ridiculous about my educational background. The problem here is that you struck a tartar as they British say.

[mathproof]

Plenty of people care about me! The fact that you don't is completely immaterial.

If you doubt my credentials, then by all means challenge me. I've been nice to you so far, but I have no problem thrilling you with my acumen and watching you wilt. I know that seems like a bully, but someone has to teach you pikers a lesson.

I actually was in the Army. I wasn't a field soldier, but I did contribute greatly in my own way.

[control1029]

Then do it.

[mathproof]

I think that I have already done so.

Now, you're beginning a sentence with a subordinating conjunction and there isn't a subject. What are we to do with you? I just can't understand how someone from the birthplace of English language can't manage the construction of a simple sentence.

Are you sure that you attended Eaton and weren't just there in an auxilary capacity?

[trinitymike]

@mathproof I find it highly amusing that you 'school' another here on their supposed lack of grasp of the English language by making a slight about the school they attend, then fail to even spell it correctly; it's 'Eton', not "Eaton'...

[mathproof]

On a related note, I think that I should provide some needed remediation on your own illustrious grammatical contribution. First, 'school' isn't a verb and so you shouldn't use it as one. Second, since the last subordinate clause is being used to explain the 'whole' independent clause that precedes it, you should have used a colon rather than a semicolon. Lastly, you should have used a coordinating conjunction between the two 'Etons'. Check!

[trinitymike]

@mathproof LOL....Nice attempt at a deflect, Jimbob...You are still a poncy little stuffed shirt.

[mathproof]

What an anemic response!

[trinitymike]

@mathproof I'm crushed, truly....ponce...And you're STIll deflecting.....as well as continuing to miss the irony.

[mathproof]

There is no irony here. I would have had to make a similar mistake in grammar rather than just spelling mistake in the worst case scenario; or trusting that the original person in question spelled the name of a foreign prep school correctly in the best case scenario. Notice, neither of the two possibilities satisfies the criterion for irony provided for you in the second sentence.

Perhaps, the guy with the bald headon your page can help, but you have to ask.

[mathproof]

Have you given up already? I haven't even removed my intellectual trousers with you.

Perhaps it is for the better. Last year, three Harvard chaps and a las thought they could intimidate me. I defeated them brilliantly and concurrently.

To add insult to injury, I re-assured them that I didn't think that they were representative of regular Harvard students, but rather the George Bush Enron type. In summary, I only uttered the following: Quod erat demonstrandum!

[mathproof]

Thre are many models in econ. The simplest and most famous is the "Supply & Demand" model. That refutes your claim about criterion 1. Now, once data is collected and parameters estimated, economtrics makes that model and its prediction come alive. So no, it doesn't fail your poorly worded second criterion.

Use properly, econ conveys much useful information.

Regarding the crash, several years before this latest crash, econ types were talking about a bubble in the housing market.

[control1029]

But that's not what you were arguing initially was it sunshine? You pulled out of your ass all these quaint mathematical approximations with the intent of BS'ing how wonderful your field is. Any five year old with a grasp of exchange can explain supply and demand. Bernanke, Greenspan, Martin Feldstein of Harvard, & Greg Mankiw said there was no housing bubble and no recession.

The leaders of your field are frauds and shills for corporate fascists.

[mathproof]

Well, my initial argument was meant to correct your thinking about the level of mathematics in economics.

The field is quite wonderful actually. I get fat paychecks.

The first rule of an educated person is to become confident enough to be your own leader. While I like Greenspan, I don't agree with everything he said. I like Mankiw, too. Unfortunately, I think that he sold out. A simple time series of your favorite housing index clearly indicated the bubblicious nature of the housing market.

[mathproof]

On a related note, you must have heard of the "Babson Break", yes? Well, Roger Babson was an economist who warned about the possibility of stock market crash in the early

1920s. So, with only graph paper and a pencil, he was able to determine that the level of activity in the market was unsustainable and that it would effect the economy disasterously. Well, it was and it did.

So, the problem is that people don't listen.

Now young padewan, go study and come back when your ready.

[fillosofert]

you can see the whole interview at the charlier rose website

[nihoncol]

Niall Ferguson is awesome!

i wish i had him as my professor

[fillosofert]

Yes, he can communicate in a clear, understandable way. Unlike paul krugman etc, he seems to be a man who can be easy and natural around ordinary people. he is not one of these geeks lives just inside his litle bubble.

[alizee2010]

I don't agree with him most of the time but he is a top-notch historian and I wish I could have had him as a professor during my time as a history student.

[corcaighrebel]

@nihoncol - I find it very hard to take Ferguson seriously....think you need to read more widely and reserve judgement..................

[nihoncol]

explain

[corcaighrebel]

i think if you looked at seasoned commentators like Chomksy and others, they seem unimpressed, indeed, they are quite critical, for me at least, Ferguson seems pro-world system, pro-empire even, he has been 'played' into the heart of the Harvard system, with a whole bunch of titles (longer than my arm), it merits further investigation not blind adherence (as it seems from other 'younger' contributors), there were the Royal Scots as well, just a gut feeling, but there for a reason

[creten69]

Obama the nobel peace prez even mentioned a catastrophy

[creten69]

so its all good then there isnt gonna be a massive depression where prices go five fold?