Hello from... me!

[Auros]

First off, I am one of... those... religiously raised folk who creeps amongst the forum forests on occasion. Also, was studying physics in university until my discalculia finally caught up to me in linear algebra and I found strict memorization no longer cut it, and proceeded to fail miserably. So, like many poor souls wandering throughout academia, I made a brief stint at Poly Sci, was positively appalled by the lack of intellectual honor, and now am habitating the philosophy department: having loved every minute of it. [The professors ink such nice comments on my essays... makes me happy] Mostly I'm studying continental philosophy, e.g. Hegel & Heidegger. I'm still a little unstudied since I'm still completing the first year of this, but most would say I'm doing better than the crop of crackpots who are the majority of my classmates. Anyhow, that's my life story: exciting, inspiring, right?

My 'me' consists rather of a guy who would rather be fishing. Or hiking. Or climbing. Or other 'outdoorsy' things. But, my life rather consists of this: :bang: while I pick my way through a Marx course. That is a literal statement.

So, overall, I know a great bloody deal about physics, but am inept at it, will perform the death stare if there comes a mention most any poly sci theory in a positive light and perhaps am perfectly adequate at philosophizationating. And, I try to be nice.

[Barefoot Bree]

And, I try to be nice.
Well, that's all you really need right there!

Welcome to the forums, Auros, dive in and get to philosophize..., er, philosoph... er, talking about stuff anywhere you see fit!

[Notta]

I hope you'll find the Secular Cafe to your liking. Welcome!

[Politesse]

Hi Auros, welcome to the Cafe! I'm in a class on social theory in Marx-Weber-Keynes right now. It makes my head hurt to read Karl's bad prose, but the course has been interesting.

[David B]

Hi. Nice introductory post, always a good start, so a big welcome to the board:)

David

[Full Tilt Boogie]

My 'me' consists rather of a guy who would rather be fishing. Or hiking. Or climbing. Or other 'outdoorsy' things. But, my life rather consists of this: :bang: while I pick my way through a Marx course. That is a literal statement.

You've just described every philosopher who ever took up the mantle :D

Welcome aboard. Look forward to reading your input.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Hi Auros, welcome to the Cafe! I'm in a class on social theory in Marx-Weber-Keynes right now. It makes my head hurt to read Karl's bad prose, but the course has been interesting.

Huh?

[Politesse]

Hi Auros, welcome to the Cafe! I'm in a class on social theory in Marx-Weber-Keynes right now. It makes my head hurt to read Karl's bad prose, but the course has been interesting.

Huh?

That's what I said. It's been kind of interesting though.

[DMB]

Welcome to Secular Café!

[Roo St. Gallus]

Hi Auros, welcome to the Cafe! I'm in a class on social theory in Marx-Weber-Keynes right now. It makes my head hurt to read Karl's bad prose, but the course has been interesting.

Huh?

That's what I said. It's been kind of interesting though.

What works are they using for Keynes' 'social theory'?

[Politesse]

Mostly "The General Theory", with some extracts from other works. Understand that from a social science perspective, it's okay to read works from other fields; we have a holistic outlook, and any description of an economy is going to be read as social theory, because we're not likely to forget that there are people behind every number, nor assume objective logic unbiased by culture in the creation of theories of money. So it's not that Keynes was a social theorist, it's that the professor felt the economy as it now exists could not be adequately discussed otherwise, that no description of society is going to be relevant to the American situation unless it is cognizant of macroeconomics and how financialization works, which Karl and Marx are not. There are many economic theorists who do describe those things, but since a lot of the movers and shakers who create the American economy read and praise Keynes and have attempted to emulate his advice in the last few years, therefore, we do too. It's a sociology course, not anthropology; the instructor is particularly concerned with the recent economic crisis, how it is affecting social work, and how it can be explained from the macro perspective.

[Roo St. Gallus]

I'm trained as an economist and an historian (and an educator). I'd never heard of any aspect of Keynes' works being referenced as 'social theory'. I am a Keynesian in outlook, as well, and despite a lot of claims praising Keynes, American practitioners do a piss-poor job actually emulating his advice.

There are many economic theorists who do describe those things, but since a lot of the movers and shakers who create the American economy read and praise Keynes and have attempted to emulate his advice in the last few years, therefore, we do too.

I'd flat out disagree with that. Some do, but their mouthings of platitudes and positioning themselves to be somewhere near his General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money when the 'liberal media' is doing interviews and taking pictures are pretty paltry in terms of hewing to the directives which Keynes actually suggested. They, instead, have been hewing to the lines of Milton Friedman and all those grotty, snivelling, vile, base, intellectual-santorum-felching, mutant monsters of the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute and the American Enterprise Institute, as repeatedly outlined in his ideological backwater of monetarist Chicago School of plutocratic henchmen.

Just look at the Federal Reserve, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank....sowing the seeds of Shock Capitalism and reaping the winds of war and catastrophe. For Christ's sake, Polly, Alan Greespan was the chair of the Federal Reserve for about twenty years...there was more Friedman pumped down the gullets of American policy than there was any Keynesian policy.

Just ask yourself, if we've been following Keynesian policy, where is that repayment of the national debt built up during periods of slack economic activity, when deficit spending was used, once the economy had been righted and was once again robust? It NEVER fucking materialized, despite several chances. Once in power, the Military Industrial Complex just kept us spending more money than we raised in revenue and the deficit just expanded....now, we are beginning the process of debasing our currency. Not 'Keynesian' at all.

An interesting concept, though.

[Politesse]

I'm trained as an economist and an historian (and an educator). I'd never heard of any aspect of Keynes' works being referenced as 'social theory'. I am a Keynesian in outlook, as well, and despite a lot of claims praising Keynes, American practitioners do a piss-poor job actually emulating his advice.

There are many economic theorists who do describe those things, but since a lot of the movers and shakers who create the American economy read and praise Keynes and have attempted to emulate his advice in the last few years, therefore, we do too.

I'd flat out disagree with that. Some do, but their mouthings of platitudes and positioning themselves to be somewhere near his General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money when the 'liberal media' is doing interviews and taking pictures are pretty paltry in terms of hewing to the directives which Keynes actually suggested. They, instead, have been hewing to the lines of Milton Friedman and all those grotty, snivelling, vile, base, intellectual-santorum-felching, mutant monsters of the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute and the American Enterprise Institute, as repeatedly outlined in his ideological backwater of monetarist Chicago School of plutocratic henchmen.

Just look at the Federal Reserve, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank....sowing the seeds of Shock Capitalism and reaping the winds of war and catastrophe. For Christ's sake, Polly, Alan Greespan was the chair of the Federal Reserve for about twenty years...there was more Friedman pumped down the gullets of American policy than there was any Keynesian policy.

Just ask yourself, if we've been following Keynesian policy, where is that repayment of the national debt built up during periods of slack economic activity, when deficit spending was used, once the economy had been righted and was once again robust? It NEVER fucking materialized, despite several chances. Once in power, the Military Industrial Complex just kept us spending more money than we raised in revenue and the deficit just expanded....now, we are beginning the process of debasing our currency. Not 'Keynesian' at all.

An interesting concept, though.

Ha ha! I'm afraid you're more well read in these matters than I, who had never so much as pondered Mr Keynes' outlook prior to the start of this class three weeks ago, but I'll forward your remarks on to the professor if you like. He'll probably agree. Seven years of schooling in the pinko liberal American college system, and he's the first unabashed Marxist I've ever encountered.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Oh, great. A Marxist sociology professor.

He probably has his dogma as snugly entrenched as any of the Hayekian throwbacks.

O...and Auros? My apologies for muddying up your intro thread.

We now return you to your regular programming....

[neilstone40]

Hi Auros, welcome to SC...

What kind of fishing do you do?

I have a passion for fly fishing either for trout, salmon, pike or even fly fishing in saltwater for whatever happens to be passing by. I enjoy bait fishing from time to time but my attention span is too low to sit still for any length of time.

If anything though, I just like being close to or in the water and standing waist deep in ariver doesn't look quite as crazy if you're holding a fishing rod...:D

[Shake]

Welcome to the Cafe, Auros!

[Auros]

First... sorry for completely forgetting about this fine place. (My memory was admittedly somewhat hampered by essays) Second, thanks for the lovely comments and intermittent dialogue.

Politesse: My condolences.

neilstone40: Mostly I prefer small lake fishing. My birth family lived on a 500 acre plot that at one point borders half of a smallish 30 acre natural lake. It's very peaceful, has a couple cute 100 foot islands on it, no waves, but somehow 'magically' hasn't turned into a stagnant pond. Pretty much, I grew up quite often eating bluegill and perch pulled out of it, and have maintained a taste for the smaller guys. (Still manage to get out to some lakes whilst here at college... cheaper than buying fish.) Pretty much, anything smaller than a mid-sized trout makes me happy. As to the style of fishing, I've had this super-jank 17' Old Town canoe that I worked and saved to buy when I was 13, and I much prefer to short cast off of it than anything else.

[Daynna]

Welcome! I also try to be nice. It is like we were separated at birth!