In yesterday’s class, guest lecturer Yvon Grenier mentioned that the United States supported Latin American dictators during The Cold War. In fact, the U.S. actively engaged in coups when country leaders, democratically elected or not, appeared threatening to American interests.
This reminds me of an American Economic Review article, in which Daniel Berger and his coauthors find that subsequent to CIA-supported coups, American imports to a country increase dramatically (link).
I hope that everyone is having a productive and restful Reading Break.
A while back, I did an interview for Economics Detective Radio on the Economics of Violence. Check it out here (link).
In last week’s class, I briefly mentioned Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model, which is explained in their 1988 book, Manufacturing Consent (link). StFX’s library has this book.
The model states that a democratic country’s corporate media produces pro-elite propaganda, due to five market-based and institutional filters:
1. Ownership
2. Advertising
3. Sourcing
4. Flak
5. Ideology
Like every model, this one has flaws (eg. Ideology is somewhat arbitrary), but I like its economic rationale, and think that it captures some fundamental empirical truths. Nonetheless, I enjoy a good debate, and look forward to some of you disagreeing with me!
This isn’t related to ECON 491 at all, but here are two Netflix suggestions for StFX’s anticipated storm day:
1. Kung Fury (2015). This is one of those so-bad-it’s-good films. I love its parody of 80s TV shows and movies.
2. Occupied (2015-). A Norwegian political thriller, in which the EU and Russia militarily occupy Norway and force the Scandinavian country to produce oil.
Check it out (link).
The article argues for more empirical research.
Aaargh! This paper (link) finds that bad economic shocks in the fishing sector cause more pirate attacks. This is consistent with an opportunity cost theory: if fishing is less attractive, then piracy is more attractive.
Check out this impressive RAND Corporation study on how terrorist groups end. The most successful methods are politics and policing.
I mentioned a retracted Science study about gay rights canvassing. Here (link) is more information about it.
Fotini Christia is an MIT political scientist who works on conflict in Afghanistan. Check out her website.
THE ECONOMICS OF VIOLENCE 