Random notes from a discussion of Tyler Cowen's Average is Over: Michael Mandel is optimistic. He thinks that the baby boomers are about to retire in droves (in part because of health reasons), hel...
Random notes from a discussion of Tyler Cowen’s Average is Over:
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Matt Yglesias wonders how, in a world that requires technical skill and social skills, those of us in the room have survived. It seems that most work for think tanks, newspapers, and other non-profits. Tyler replies that our presence in the room is indicative of marketing skills. Each of us has proven adept at marketing, with wealthy donors as our consumers in most cases. Steve Teles points out that as society’s rich accumulate wealth beyond what they can consume, their philanthropic ideas will, for better or worse, allocate society’s resources. Afterward, it occurs to me that this suggests that there will emerge a toady class, meaning people whose work in one way or another flatters the wealthy.