The big day has come, and I am now officially semi-retired. And, coincidentally, I got a nice present from the Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory, which elected me as a Fellow.
The change in my life isn’t dramatic, since I wasn’t teaching last semester, but as I look ahead to 2024, I can see a calendar that is almost completely clear: no courses to prepare, lectures to give and especially no assessment to deal with.
In the course of 2023 produced 62 publications (including journal articles, submissions and opinion pieces) in 2023. Here’s a list.
I’ll aim to do much the same this year, but with a more relaxed life thanks to the absence of teaching.
I’m hoping to diversify my sporting activities, adding stand-up paddleboarding and maybe surfing, while doing fewer triathlons. Despite failing a couple of years ago, I’ve signed up for the Gold Coast marathon, but with a much less ambitious goal of 4:30.
All things considered, it’s been a pretty good year for me, and the future looks promising.
I wish I could say the same for Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and the many countries threatened by the rise of dictatorship. But it’s worth remembering that despite all the bad news, life is getting better for many, perhaps most people in the world. In particular, much of Africa looks set to escape the poverty trap of the past 50 years or more.
Here are some of the things I did in December
Opinion
COP28 deal confirms what Australia already knows: coal is out of vogue and out of time , The Conversation, 15 December
‘Progressive’ Labor is dead — supporting stage three tax cuts is pointless, Crikey 15 December
From COVID to climate: Queensland’s new emissions pledge shows state governments are once again leading change, The Conversation, 20 December
Irresistible force meets immovable object , Inside Story, 22 December
Australia and China turn a new leaf in economic relations, East Asia Forum 23 December
Media
My media report for December, password quiggin (Thanks to Alysha Hilevuo for preparing this)
Visit my Substack blog
Do countries such as Kenya have institutions or legislation or Bills of Rights so that they keep on moving forward? I found it depressing how in one country I visited about five years ago that they were conducting literacy programs for people who had not attended school but now they're not paying teachers a reasonable income at public schools and seem to have a user pays attitude.
I would like to ask you why you consider that 'much of Africa looks set to escape the poverty trap of the past 50 years or more' ? A quarter of African countries are facing hunger ~ 140 million people or more. This comes down to wars, climate change, debt, inequity and the astounding greed of those in power. The West of course just looks on.
Ethiopia for example experienced loss of life and loss of income through covid. Then the Tigray conflict was so threatening that houses were abandoned and people had to flee. On top of that the government has been in conflict with local militias which didn't want to disarm in the Amhara region. For 'safety', people have needed to remain indoors. There is no aid being supplied there and of course prices have escalated for the scarce food which is available.
On either side of Ethiopia - Somalia and Sudan are also facing hunger. This is also being faced in southern, central and eastern countries of Africa.
But poverty isn't just lack of food but the state of living in an unjust society where no-one worries if you have to do work which is poorly paid and harmful to your health or that you can't access education or health services or that you have to walk kilometres to access water which then needs to be lugged back over that distance.