Robert Mundell: Genius unbound

James Farmelant farmelantj at juno.com
Fri Feb 25 11:08:40 PST 2000


Concerning the Nobel Prize, Sartre turned down the Prize in literature in 1964. As I recall he wrote a scathing denunciation of the Prizes.

Jim F.

On Fri, 25 Feb 2000 12:27:26 -0500 "Charles Brown" <CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us> writes:
>
>
> >>> Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol at jhu.edu> 02/25/00 11:40AM >>>
> At 10:52 PM 2/24/00 -0500, Enrique wrote:
> >Here's an interview given to El Pais by Robert Mundell:
> >
> >http://www.elpais.es/p/d/20000224/economia/mundell.htm
> >
> >I am speechless. The mediocrity of his thinking and the level of
> factual
> >misinformation is shocking. I thought Nobel prizes required at
> least an
> >appearance of minimum competence. Here are some nuggets:
>
>
> -- snip
>
> What would you expect from the theatrical farce like Nobel Prize in
> economics - this whole Nobel bullshit is a sham, a form of
> professional
> wrestling for the professional class - a caricature of a "good guy"
> winning
> over a caricature of a "bad guy," a lots of theatrical gestures but
> no
> actual fighting, everything being pre-determined by the rules of the
> genre.
>
> ********************
>
> CB: Right on , Wojtek.
> ********************
>
>
> Spectacles like Nobel Prize, Oscar, Grammy or professional wresting
> are all
> manifestation of bourgeois secular religion worshiping competition
> that
> leads to the hierarchy of perfection. It is an imposition of a
> mythical
> narrative (competition leading to perfection and victory) on areas
> that are
> fundamentally non-competitive, since it is impossible to establish
> bona
> fide unambiguous criteria deciding who's "the best" in arts or
> science in
> the same way such criteria exists in sports.
>
> In sporting events, where the contestants' place in the hierarchy of
> perfection is determined by their own efforts than can can be
> objectively
> measured. By contrast, in the spectacles like Nobel Prize, Oscar or
> Grammy, the contestants' place in the hierarchy of perfection is
> bestowed
> on them by a self-appointed cabal casting their secret votes. In
> other
> words, athletes win their 1st place by virtue of their own effort,
> artists
> and scientists by virtue of being recognised by an external
> authority.
> They are like lackays and butlers waiting for the lord's recognition
> of
> their services.
>
> Any self-respecting scientist, artist, writer or political activist
> should
> denounce farces like Nobel Prize, Oscar etc. It has nothing to do
> with
> scientific or artistic merits - these spectacles are nothing but the
> recognition of mainstream conventionality and faithful upholding of
> the
> ruling class value system.
>
> wojtek
>
>
>
>

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