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submitted 3 days ago by tfm@europe.pub to c/Memes@europe.pub
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[-] nonentity@sh.itjust.works 40 points 3 days ago

Economics, as an intellectual discipline, is far closer to theology than physics.

Asking an economist for advice is akin to asking a priest.

[-] porksnort@slrpnk.net 15 points 3 days ago

Yep!

Economics is a valid area of study, after all everyone loves money and needs some. Things work better for everyone when it is moving around optimally.

But money also buys opinions from feckless nerds. Thus the entire ‘science’ of economics as the public sees it is much more akin to a company paying a consultant to come in to deliver bad news about needed layoffs. It is pure theatre to deflect ire away from the real reasons.

[-] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Can confirm.

But DAMN, will they make the case that we're correct AF while hedging and saying "well, it depends..." half the time.

[-] Soup@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Depends on who you ask. There are economists who actually go through all the data and are the ones who can provide sources and examples and there are the ones who go “trust me bro the companies love and care about you and totally listen to your opinions bro please the free market will protect you and you totally have power pleeeeeeease bro”.

[-] nonentity@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago

How is this any different to the various incarnations of priests? Economists interpret budgets as if they’re dregs of tea leaves, and unemployment statistics like the entrails of a sacrificial animal.

It doesn’t matter how rigorously someone analyses scripture, the end result can only ever intersect with reality by accident.

[-] Geobloke@aussie.zone 6 points 2 days ago

Yeah, scientists do that too, as a geologist, the hardest of hard sciences pun very much intended

We look at crystals like the dregs of tea leaves and isotope ratios like they're the entrails of a sacrificed animal.

As a common heard saying on mines, 3 geologists will have 4 opinions

The difference is that economics is a social science, masquerading as a hard science. Nothing wrong with the social sciences but they often present themselves as though the results they've found are akin to a hard science experiment with the lowest R values on record. In fact, ironically, most economists tend to look down their noses at the other social sciences and I think it's causing them a lot of dukkha.

Ironically, it's the social sciences that would help them realise that their discipline was already enough, as it was, all along.

The real problem came when neoclassical economics was rebranded as "just basic economics!" and not one of many conflicting, equally supported, schools of thought.

this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2025
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