when we were both members of the Progressive Economic Forum, which eventually proved itself to be anything but progressive on the issue of modern monetary theory, as a result of which I was expelled from membership.
My assumption is that he couldn’t get his resignation in in time, unlike that accounting body.
The left love the word ‘progressive’ and hate the word ‘reality’, because the latter blows the former out of the water.
Which begs the question, how can you get fired from Progressive Economic Forum, when stupid is a condition of membership?
They’re too stupid to realise how stupid you are??
Organizational Dunning-Kruger effect.
He is a ‘man of principle’ – probably along the lines of Groucho Marx:
As many readers of this blog will know, I try to be as open and transparent about my affiliations and funding as I can reasonably be. This post is made within that spirit but is a little unusual as it records the fact that I have been expelled from membership of an organisation. As far as I can recall that’s a personal first for me. Normally that’s not something you want to shout about. But since I have been expelled for upholding my economic beliefs I am going to note the reasons on this occasion.
Patrick Allen, the chair and funder of the Progressive Economy Forum (PEF), has expelled me from membership of that group, of which I have been in membership since it began. I gather only one member of PEF overtly supported his decision, but Patrick Allen continued with his action nonetheless.
The dispute giving rise to my expulsion related to a chapter for a planned PEF book on economic policy after coronavirus. I was invited to write on tax policy, which I framed in a macroeconomic environment since that is what PEF concerns itself with.
As a consequence I offered an argument that might have been termed very mild in modern monetary theory terms. In response I was sent an edited chapter which reframed my chapter to effectively exclude MMT. The revision also deleted references to Stephanie Kelton’s ‘The Deficit Myth’, the inclusion of a reference to which was apparently unacceptable to the editors. I was also told I did not have the right to say that QE funding need not be repaid, since I was told that it must be, which would have required endorsement by me of an austerity narrative.
I refused the fait accompli that I was presented with, which was that if I wished to be included in the book then I must accept the edits that I did not agree with, and to cut a long story short Patrick Allen expelled me as a consequence of that refusal.
I realise now that I made a mistake in joining PEF. I thought it was a collective with a Council. It turned out it was an autocracy with the power to expel dissident opinion.
I am pleased to note that several other members and book chapter authors withdrew their chapters from the proposed book in support of my position. I am grateful to them.
I have no doubt that I will work with some members of PEF again. But in the meantime I think it only fair to point out that PEF is anything but a progressive economy forum. It is instead, in my opinion, dedicated to a profoundly neo-Keynesian view that implicitly maintains a deep austerity narrative. And I was not willing to compromise with that.
I have never heard of Patrick Allen (Or if I had his name slipped my mind) but he has most definitely gone up in my estimation.
OMFG! Stupid people arguing with stupid people.
“Nothing was learned.”
“I have no doubt that I will work with some members of PEF again. “
Anyone taking bets?
No doubt a different Patrick Allen to the one I remember in the 60s as an actor and latterly a voiceover merchant. “Protect and Survive!”
Somewhere here between not accepting the edits and to cut a long story short Patrick Allen expelled me, is the real story. Must have been a heck of a row.
Looking at that Patrick Allen, he can certainly get the guest speakers to come to his team’s shindig based on
https://progressiveeconomyforum.com/news/pef-compass-conference-2026/
there’s at least 3 in there who fancy themselves for high office.
It would be tempting to park a marked Hatzola ambulance outside this one and hope that nothing happens to it of course.
Murphy just cannot avoid falling out with everyone in the end.
I expect the denouncement, and expulsion from FTF, of one of the sons in the next few months. Maybe even the wife….again.
Multiple personality disorders?
He would be an adventure playground for trick cyclists.
Splitter!!
Spud’s fissiparous behaviour is so typical of leftists – v. Freud’s “narcissism of minor differences.” Though Ben Habib and Rupert Lowe are examples on the right.
In the 1920s the “Municipal Progressive Party” was an anti-Socialist coalition of Liberals, Conservatives and indepdenant ratepayer groups.
Surely Moronic Monetary Theory has been completely discredited and seen for the scam it is by now. That this Ely cretin continues to promote is confirms this. Stick to playing with you train set and fulminating outside pubs which will not admit you, as your ‘thoughts’ are very low grade (like a potato dish I made which wasn’t very good).