Friday, June 15, 2007

Paul Krugman at LSE

You can me whatever you want, but I must confess that I enjoy economist-celebrity spotting. Yesterday, Krugman went to the LSE to give the James Meade Memorial Lecture. Yes, he has lost his faith on the power of free-trade to foster growth in the III World, but he has not become a protectionist:
"My case for free trade rests more in the wish that Bangladesh keeps its head above the water, than in the hope of a new South Korea"
His main point is that a large share of the recent rise in inequality in the I and III Worlds is due to globalisation. (During question time, Danny Quah remembered that, although inequality has risen within countries, the world became more equal. Krugman did not reply to this point).
I would prefer to listen to him talking about economic geography, nevertheless I will keep my ticket to the lecture as memorabilia.

UPDATE: this article summarizes the main points of his lecture.

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