There is a story about a young job candidate interviewing for an entry-level position in the geography department of a state university. One senior faculty member, whose opinion of our modern educational system was not especially high, asked the simple question, “Which way does the Mississippi River run?” In ignorance of the biases of this particular geography department and in fear of jeopardizing his employment prospects, the candidate boldly replied, “I can teach it either way.”
When the question “Is Milton Friedman a Keynesian?” was first suggested to me as a topic, I couldn’t help but think of the uncommitted geographer. But in this case, opposing answers can be defended with no loss of academic respectability…
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