Free Speech

Yesterday, I gave a free market environmentalism presentation at NUS in Singapore to a group of environmental policy students.  While I have had a great time here, I quickly realized (based on this select set of  students' questions) that I was in the midst of audience who is highly skeptical of capitalism and free markets.  While in the past I have played nice, at that moment I made a decision to go on the offensive.   I would suggest at this dangerous time in the world's economy that economists who have a free markets leaning to step up their game and defend their ideas in the public arena.     When I return to UCLA, I plan to be much more assertive with my colleagues.  I will no longer smile at some of the wacky things people routinely say to me about market capitalism.