Saturday, January 24, 2009

Supply Curves in "Slumdog Millionaire"

It is politically incorrect to suggest the supply of unemployed persons slopes up -- that an increase in payments to unemployed people will increase their numbers.

[warning: the laws of supply and demand sometimes reveal themselves in graphic and disgusting ways. You may not want to read what's below -- or see the film. The film is nominated for Oscars, so I assume that most of you already know about it]

Mysteriously, it is political correct -- fantastically popular, in fact -- to suggest that the supply of deformed children slopes up. "...hundreds of young children have had their arms and legs chopped off; scores of others have been blinded. The gangs also pour acid on to the children’s bodies, leaving them with suppurating wounds. A happy ending for the stars of the film Slumdog Millionaire - but for real slum dwellers the future is bleak. Their suffering comes down to one thing: money." (quote from here, but see the film yourself)

2 comments:

  1. Oh, oh, ohhhhh..... How evil can some people be?

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  2. Ugh. That hurts. I'm an economist, and saw the movie, and didn't see this even though it's plain now that you mention it. So what is the proper version charity in a poor country (seriously)?

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