Sunday, May 5, 2019

My Dinner Chat With a Former Top Treasury Official

During dinner on Friday at the "Strategies For Monetary Policy: A Policy Conference," I sat next to a former high-ranking Treasury Department official.

He asked me what I thought of the event.

My response: "Well, I feel I am in the enemy camp here. I am an Austrian economics school guy and I don't think anyone here is focusing on the real problems. They are tinkering with the rearview mirror when the car is headed off the cliff."

He said, "Yes," and seemed to nod enthusiastically.

A few minutes later, he asked me: "So do you spend most of your time here in the states or in Austria?"

My full reporting on the conference starts on Monday here at EPJ.

-RW



6 comments:

  1. Boy, these modern econ guys know EVERYTHING!!

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  2. So, how did you keep a straight face?

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  3. That's hilarious. I'll need to tell your story at my next state librarian convention.

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  4. I'm howling!!! Best laugh of the day for sure!

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  5. Did you refer to yourself thereafter as "Herr Wenzel," and pronounce it "Venzel"---? lol.

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  6. These people are just little dorklings hyper-adapted to academia. They do not understand anything about physical reality. Make fun of them. Give them swirlies. Steal their girlfriends.

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