Collected economic wisdom

Press, 2 May 1981, Page 17

Collected economic wisdom

Economics for New Zealand Social Democrats. By Brian Easton. John J Mclndoe, 1981. s9.9s(paperback). ’ ■ ■ ■ ■■ ■■ ■■ <

(Reviewed by

Norman Macbeth)

If economics is “the' study of the allocations of scarce means among. competing ends” the ends chosen by social , democrats would be different from those . chosen by, say,. communists dr free- • enterprisers. (In Britain, henceforth, there ' will presumably be economics for Social Democrats as well , as economics, for ■ Labourites.) ' • j Py and large, economists have no ,‘i K-ial expertise in advising politicians or voters about competing ends, and indeed t any economist’s professional contribution ■ to a debate deserves to be suspect in j proportion to the strength of his (or her) ‘ j political . ■<_ s

Brian Easton’s political commitment is more apparent in his choice of subject than in Ins treatment of it The economic content of the articlesin this book is more likely to annoy Left-wing politicians than Right-wing economists. The book is-a collection of 76 articles written for the “Listener” from 1977 to early 1981. Many of the articles are just as relevant today as when they first appeared in print — partly a consequence of the inordinate , gestation period for “Listener” articles, which rules out of consideration any. topic, which may have been forgotten, or overtaken by events, within a month. The collection will be a useful adjunct to the teaching of economics in secondary schools, but more valuable as a starting point for discussion at week-end seminars for aspiring - politicians or political ■ -