The Economist!

[Perfection]

Oooh, Look At Me, I Read The Economist!

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

You must have enjoyed a recent article they put out about the Second Avenue Subway here in New York.

And they are spying on you. Because they can.

I do remember enjoying that one.

 

[Berrie]

The Economist was very useful material during my international politics studies.

 

[happy_Alex]

Actually I quite like it, I don't know about Lamberts comments so I guess I'll take them at face value. Compares very favourably with newsweek and time which have an entirely american0centric view point.

I don't agree with their stance that more private involvment is the key to standards in the public sector though.

 

[Whomp]

The thing I'd agree with Lambert on is the mag has become much more opinionated over the years. I'd be interested to know if the old editor retired or something.

 

[Rambuchan]

I really ought to just dislike it, but, truth be told, I loathe it. Amateur hour journalism, with lots of snide little opinions, stabs in the dark, and comments which sound as if they mean much more than they do. What particularly winds me up is the lack of attribution - the writers of each story, traditionally in The Economist, hide behind the paper's byline, and don't put their own name to the story. Historically at least, this is largely because they employ opinionated young turks whom nobody would take seriously otherwise, and who don't have the guts or credibility to stand behind some of their stories.

Online works for it, on one level, in that it's rather well reasoned for a blog. On the other hand, at least even with blogs, you know who is talking to you.

Whilst I agree with your criticism that its writers hide behind the name of the mag and should really be given their personal by-lines, your charge that they are 'opinionated young turks' somewhat misses the target dear fellow. The Economist isn't a newswire or reporting agency, like some some glorious establishments out there. People read it for its opinion. That's the whole point. I mean, why do some people read The Guardian and not the Telegraph?

 

[Brighteye]

The Economist is respectable, but did seem rather opinionated last time I dipped into its pages.
Opinionated writing I can deal with if it presents an interesting argument. The stories I browsed just assumed that I knew and agreed with the argument.
I also encountered an entirely inaccurate article about a subject I do know (hypertension). It rather dented my esteem for the magazine.

 

[The Yankee]

I do remember enjoying that one.

They'll probably be doing more for the Second Avenue Subway as the costs, benefits, and length of its construction (even just the Stubway) come in. Since I'm a fan of transit and all I know is the MTA, it'll suit me just well.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

They'll probably be doing more for the Second Avenue Subway as the costs, benefits, and length of its construction (even just the Stubway) come in. Since I'm a fan of transit and all I know is the MTA, it'll suit me just well.

Absolutely WAYY off topic - here I am thread-jacking my own thread - but another New York project that really interests me is the Hudson's Yards project in Manhattan. Not only because it is really neat, but because Calgary is vaguely planning something similar. Our commercial downtown is divided from the main residential district by the CPR right-of-way. The latest centre-city plan calls for a +30 platform above the tracks the entire length of the downtown. It would be an enclosed public space 30 feet above the ground that would integrate buildings and pathways on the south and north side of the tracks. It would also integrate a possible high-speed rail station underneath with several LRT lines.

I can only assume this plan takes some of its inspiration from your own city's plan. The potential implementation of it will probably also depend on the problems encountered and the successes achieved in New York. If Calgary has the balls to go through with it, I could see some major collaboration between city governments and engineers.

The yellow area represents the downtown including the high-density residential areas. The red square represents the almost solely commercial core. Together they make up the Centre City. The platform wouldn't actually be the entire length of the area in this map, but it would cover much of the length within the centre city itself

 

[SeleucusNicator]

It's a neoliberal rag that disgusts me. I can't read it for more than a couple of pages without becoming genuinely angry.

 

[Ansar]

Oooh, Look At Me, I Read The Economist!

Thanks for the laughs, Perf.

 

[WillJ]

I have a subscription and I'm damn happy with it. Great magazine (oops, I mean newspaper!).

It's also wonderful that they'll have stories from places that normally go unnoticed by other major publications.

That's definitely what I like most about it.

Oooh, Look At Me, I Read The Economist!

 

[WillJ]

Excellent magazine. The 'executive focus' want ads are particularly good.

Let's see...governor of the Bank of Canada, senior economist for the World Bank, professorships at the India School of Business and University of Sydney, Austrailia...I had no idea these kinds of jobs were advertised on the open market...

Integral

Yeah, I've always wondered, are those things legit?

I mean, one issue had an ad for personal assistant to the Queen of England. What the ****?

 

[The Yankee]

Yeah, I've always wondered, are those things legit?

I mean, one issue had an ad for personal assistant to the Queen of England. What the ****?

I've been tempted to throw my pitifully short resume at some of these places. If I can't get Queen Elizabeth II, then I'll be the personal pleasure for the al-Khalifas of Bahrain.

Absolutely WAYY off topic - here I am thread-jacking my own thread - but another New York project that really interests me is the Hudson's Yards project in Manhattan. Not only because it is really neat, but because Calgary is vaguely planning something similar. Our commercial downtown is divided from the main residential district by the CPR right-of-way. The latest centre-city plan calls for a +30 platform above the tracks the entire length of the downtown. It would be an enclosed public space 30 feet above the ground that would integrate buildings and pathways on the south and north side of the tracks. It would also integrate a possible high-speed rail station underneath with several LRT lines.

I can only assume this plan takes some of its inspiration from your own city's plan. The potential implementation of it will probably also depend on the problems encountered and the successes achieved in New York. If Calgary has the balls to go through with it, I could see some major collaboration between city governments and engineers.

The yellow area represents the downtown including the high-density residential areas. The red square represents the almost solely commercial core. Together they make up the Centre City. The platform wouldn't actually be the entire length of the area in this map, but it would cover much of the length within the centre city itself

Looks very interesting, could be a great boon to the city upon completion.

The far West Side projects have stalled ever since the bid to put in that football stadium next to the Javits Center was turned down. However, the plan to extend the 7 train two stops to 34th Street and 11th Avenue is still very much on the table and the contract for who gets to build over the rail yards is still up in the air. It's been highly politicized, not least of which because Cablevision, the owner of Madison Square Garden, wanted to block any kind of new sports venue from opening there on the West Side.

 

[Elrohir]

I read it online occasionally. Its generally a good read. I like it.

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Whilst I agree with your criticism that its writers hide behind the name of the mag and should really be given their personal by-lines, your charge that they are 'opinionated young turks' somewhat misses the target dear fellow. The Economist isn't a newswire or reporting agency, like some some glorious establishments out there. People read it for its opinion. That's the whole point. I mean, why do some people read The Guardian and not the Telegraph?

Heh. Nice dig, Ram.

By "opinionated young Turks", I mean that they have simple, one-sided views of most issues, in the way that intelligent young people often (invariably ?) have. Defending The Economist as just having opinions, and thus being freed from the needs of balance, objectivity or accuracy, is a defence which can be made just as ably for the Daily Mail. (For the record, I loathe The Daily Mail as well...)

 

[Rambuchan]

Thanks for your clarification Lambert.

Here's one of mine: I don't think having an opinion necessarily excludes or exempts one from balance, objectivity and accuracy. The Economist does this balancing act somewhat better than The Daily Mail.

 

[GinandTonic]

Thanks for your clarification Lambert.

Here's one of mine: I don't think having an opinion necessarily excludes or exempts one from balance, objectivity and accuracy. The Economist does this balancing act somewhat better than The Daily Mail.

Well the standards of the press complaint commission demand balance and accuracy in factual reporting along with a clear distinction between editorial and reportage. The Daily Mail often flirts with (to be generous) the boundaries of these definitions. The only reason it is a problem is that the Mail presents itself as a newspaper. If you want to tranparently editorialise, knock yourself out, but withdraw from the PCC so everyone knows what is presented is editorial not "news".

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Here's one of mine: I don't think having an opinion necessarily excludes or exempts one from balance, objectivity and accuracy.

Indeed, it doesn't. Writing a piece which promotes a particular opinion, on the other hand, almost certainly does prevent you from exhibiting balance and objectivity in that same piece. (Even Orwell, JB Priestley and Zola (oh, OK, and perhaps Pilger) didn't - and though their pieces were the better for it, I certainly wouldn't put today's Economist columnists in that class )

The Economist does this balancing act somewhat better than The Daily Mail.

Hmm. Accepted. We're not putting the bar very high with that one though, are we ?