A Mental Kaleidoscope Couched in an Economics Lecture

Tyler Cowen from George Mason University is an economist who writes the interesting blog Marginal Revolution.

What makes him interesting is his odd mix of interests in economics and culture.

If you want a taste of Tyler and his wildly variegated interests and his ability to bring themes together, listen to a lecture where he talks about:

• Dosa, an Indian food
• Mento, Ska, Reggae, all Jamaican music styles and Desmond Dekker
• How harmonies South Pacific choral music via Madagascar music, African rhythmic influences, French influences, and American Doo-Wop all feed into Jamaican music
  
• Rastafarian tradition from Ethiopia influence on Jamaica music
• The complex polyphonies of the Pygmies of Central Africa
• Tuvan throat singing and a Russian throat singer who does a throat singing version of Led Zepplin
• Freddie Mercury, a Zoroastrian born in Zanzibar who ended up as the lead singer for the 1980s rock group Queen who put Zorastrian themes into his songs
• Glenn Gould playing Bach's English Suites, and points out that Bach wrote French Suites and Italian Concerto which cross national boundaries, and how Mozart and Haydn "globalized" by moving across Europe to sell to patrons
  

The purpose of the lecture is to look at globalization and argue that of the two views:

1. Losses from leveling down to the "lowest common denominator"
2. Gains from free trade
   

He notes that the political left and right are going for view #1. But he argues that libertarians go for point #2.

Now that I've whetted your appetite, here is the video of the Tyler Cowen lecture.