Free Capitalist Network - Community Archive
Mises Community Archive
An online community for fans of Austrian economics and libertarianism, featuring forums, user blogs, and more.

So an austrian goes for a FED job interview...

rated by 0 users
Not Answered This post has 0 verified answers | 25 Replies | 7 Followers

Top 200 Contributor
Male
470 Posts
Points 7,025
Vitor posted on Wed, Sep 9 2009 12:10 PM

It sounds like the start of promising joke, but it really happened and hilarity ensued nonetheless. Im a member of a Pearl Jam forum where there is this another guy who is an economist and actually studied in Auburn, he is the one who introduced me to mises.org. So let me quote him....

 

i should tell the story about my job interview with the fed here in kansas city. they asked me about optimal monetary policy, and hilarity quickly ensued.

so they started off asking basic technocratic economic questions..."what should the fed do when inflation is increasing?", "why do bond prices and their yields move in opposite directions?", "what happens when the fed increases the reserve requirement?", etc.  i prefaced every answer with the words "the textbook says..."  so when inflation is increasing, i said "the textbook says you raise rates."  they noticed, and at the end of the interview they asked why i prefaced every answer with "the textbook says..."  i said, "because i don't always agree with the textbook, particularly when it comes to the actions of the federal reserve."  i then turned the tables and put them on the defensive.  a nutshell:

me: what are your feelings on price and wage controls?

them: we're against them.

me: do you disagree that interest rates are prices, that they communicate information about the real state of the economy, the capital structure, and producer/consumer sentiments?

them: it's more complicated than that...

me: if you don't have another interview scheduled after mine, i don't mind waiting and listening to your explanation.  how exactly can the fed manipulate interest rates and not expect consequences not unlike those that result from controlling other prices and wages (ie...minimum wage, rent control, etc)?

them: the nature of money is very different than is the nature of other goods and services.  blah, blah, blah...

me: fair enough, but that doesn't distract from the fact that distorting the price of money, as communicated by interest rates, has effects on the real economy.  if it didn't there would be no need for the fed in the first place.  if the fed's actions had no real effect, it would be a redundant institution, no?

them: .............................

me: i'll show myself out.  thanks.

 

  • | Post Points: 95

All Replies

Top 500 Contributor
Male
248 Posts
Points 4,355
Eric replied on Wed, Sep 9 2009 2:41 PM

awesome, btw Ten is a great album, but I prefer Soundgarden and Nirvana

  • | Post Points: 35
Not Ranked
8 Posts
Points 70

That is awesome indeed!

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 150 Contributor
574 Posts
Points 9,305

That's why the austrians will never take over the world. We should start by infiltrating the enemy. No strategic thinking at all! :)

If I hear not allowed much oftener; said Sam, I'm going to get angry.

J.R.R.Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 200 Contributor
377 Posts
Points 7,180

Big Smile  This is why I prefer to view them as the chimps they are (refer to avatar picture).  Ben does have a lot of facial hair...

  • | Post Points: 5
Not Ranked
Male
1 Posts
Points 5

Obviously his resume lacked sufficient affiliation with the AFL-CIO.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 10 Contributor
Male
11,343 Posts
Points 194,945
ForumsAdministrator
Moderator
SystemAdministrator

Natalie:
That's why the austrians will never take over the world.

That's not the Austrian goal.

Natalie:
We should start by infiltrating the enemy. No strategic thinking at all! :)

I really hope you are kidding.

"When you're young you worry about people stealing your ideas, when you're old you worry that they won't." - David Friedman
  • | Post Points: 35
Top 150 Contributor
574 Posts
Points 9,305

Why so serious? ;)

But what if he could have found the lost 2 trillion dollars? :)

If I hear not allowed much oftener; said Sam, I'm going to get angry.

J.R.R.Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 10 Contributor
Male
11,343 Posts
Points 194,945
ForumsAdministrator
Moderator
SystemAdministrator

Natalie:
Why so serious? ;)

I told you, I don't know where you stand, and when I ask, you evade.  So I assume the worst.

As a russian, I would hope you would appreciate my cynicism.  Wink

"When you're young you worry about people stealing your ideas, when you're old you worry that they won't." - David Friedman
  • | Post Points: 20
Top 200 Contributor
Male
470 Posts
Points 7,025
Vitor replied on Wed, Sep 9 2009 5:21 PM

Eric:

awesome, btw Ten is a great album, but I prefer Soundgarden and Nirvana

Vitalogy, No Code and Yield are 1 gazillion times better than Ten.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 200 Contributor
Male
470 Posts
Points 7,025
Vitor replied on Wed, Sep 9 2009 5:22 PM

Unexpected update: He didnt get the job. Surprise

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 25 Contributor
Male
3,055 Posts
Points 41,895

Vitor:

Unexpected update: He didnt get the job. Surprise

He should sue for discrimination.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 150 Contributor
574 Posts
Points 9,305

liberty student:
I told you, I don't know where you stand, and when I ask, you evade.  So I assume the worst.

It's not that I deliberately evade I just try to avoid generic statements because there're many variations in practical terms.

If I hear not allowed much oftener; said Sam, I'm going to get angry.

J.R.R.Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 50 Contributor
Male
2,943 Posts
Points 49,130
SystemAdministrator

Natalie:

liberty student:
I told you, I don't know where you stand, and when I ask, you evade.  So I assume the worst.

It's not that I deliberately evade I just try to avoid generic statements because there're many variations in practical terms.

+ evade

;p

Ron Paul is for self-government when compared to the Constitution. He's an anarcho-capitalist. Proof.
  • | Post Points: 20
Top 10 Contributor
Male
11,343 Posts
Points 194,945
ForumsAdministrator
Moderator
SystemAdministrator

Conza88:

Natalie:

liberty student:
I told you, I don't know where you stand, and when I ask, you evade.  So I assume the worst.

It's not that I deliberately evade I just try to avoid generic statements because there're many variations in practical terms.

+ evade

;p

Yeah, exactly what I mean.  She's good.

@Natalie, I relent. You are a person of mystery.

"When you're young you worry about people stealing your ideas, when you're old you worry that they won't." - David Friedman
  • | Post Points: 5
Page 1 of 2 (26 items) 1 2 Next > | RSS