I'm tired of Ben Stein being treated as an expert in things he is not.

[Evan Wiener]

He's on Larry King right now, talking about the arrest of Gates, and whether this was legal or abuse of power or racially motivated. What the hell does Ben Stein know about any of this?

I'm getting really tired of Ben Stein being treated as an expert in anything other than hosting a game show and writing speeches for Nixon. What does he know about race relations and rights of individuals? The guy has an endorsement deal with Comcast, calling himself an economist. He told us to buy Bear Sterns stock last summer. What the fuck kind of economist are you if you didn't see the problems with the lending industry merging with investment banking?

[Ryan F]

Also, he knows a lot about evolution....

He wears glasses and speaks in a monotone = greatest genius renaissance man that has ever lived.

But really, I think your main problem is that you're watching Larry King.

[Evan Wiener]

He wears glasses and speaks in a monotone = greatest genius renaissance man that has ever lived.

Also, he knows a lot about evolution.

Hahahaha, he knows how to loosely connect the theory of evolution to Nazi Germany, criticizing the scientific method with strawman arguments, like a true partisan hack. He's an embarrassment to himself.

[bradical]

i'm not. i know he's not an expert and i have fond memories of him from trying to win his money. have you ever let me try to win your money? well, there you go.

[NickT]

He's an expert on Masks, I remember this from that Jim Carrey documentary.

[Slewo.O]

Who the hell is Ben Stein?

[Evan Wiener]

Who the hell is Ben Stein?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Stein

[bradical]

Who the hell is Ben Stein?

:)

[Evan Wiener]

If Ben Stein's an economist, I'm a rocket scientist.

Financial Advice Prior to 2008 Stock Market Crash
On March 18, 2007, in a column for CBS News' online version of CBS News Sunday Morning, Stein famously proclaimed in the beginning of the subprime mortgage crisis that the foreclosure problem would "blow over and the people who buy now, in due time, will be glad they did," the economy was "still very strong," and the "smart money" was "now trying to buy — not sell — as much distressed merchandise" in mortgages as possible.[20]
On August 18, 2007, on Fox News Channel's Cavuto on Business, Stein appeared with other financial experts dismissing worries of a coming credit crunch[21]. The lone dissenter was Peter Schiff, who predicted that the mortgage sector would create a crisis leading to massive recession, a view that produced laughter from the other experts. Stein strongly recommended investing in then-troubled financial institutions[21].
Ben Stein: The credit crunch is way overblown. The [financial institutions] are being given away; they're so unbelievably cheap...The subprime problem is a problem, but it's a tiny problem in the context of this economy...It's a buying opportunity, especially for the financials, maybe like I've never seen before in my entire life.
[...]
Peter Schiff: This is just getting started. It's not just subprimes. This is a problem for the entire mortgage industry. It's not just people with bad credit that committed to mortgages they couldn't afford. It's not just people with bad credit who are going to see their home equity vanish... This is going to be an enormous credit crunch...
Neil Cavuto: You must be a laugh-riot at parties.
(LAUGHTER)
[...]
Ben Stein: ...subprime is tiny. Subprime is a tiny, tiny blip.
Peter Schiff: It's not tiny. And again, it's not just subprime. It's the entire mortgage market.
Ben Stein: You're simply wrong about that... Defaults for the whole mortgage market are tiny.
[...]
Ben Stein: I think stocks will be a heck of a lot higher a year from now than they are now.
A year and a month later, in the Global Financial Crisis of September 2008, global stock markets crashed, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken over by the US government, AIG was bailed out by the Federal Reserve, Merrill Lynch was sold to Bank of America Corporation, and Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs confirmed that they would become traditional bank holding companies.

[woljed]

Are you saying he's not the leading edge expert on dry eyes?!

[bradical]

If Ben Stein's an economist, I'm a rocket scientist.

Financial Advice Prior to 2008 Stock Market Crash
On March 18, 2007, in a column for CBS News' online version of CBS News Sunday Morning, Stein famously proclaimed in the beginning of the subprime mortgage crisis that the foreclosure problem would "blow over and the people who buy now, in due time, will be glad they did," the economy was "still very strong," and the "smart money" was "now trying to buy — not sell — as much distressed merchandise" in mortgages as possible.[20]
On August 18, 2007, on Fox News Channel's Cavuto on Business, Stein appeared with other financial experts dismissing worries of a coming credit crunch[21]. The lone dissenter was Peter Schiff, who predicted that the mortgage sector would create a crisis leading to massive recession, a view that produced laughter from the other experts. Stein strongly recommended investing in then-troubled financial institutions[21].
Ben Stein: The credit crunch is way overblown. The [financial institutions] are being given away; they're so unbelievably cheap...The subprime problem is a problem, but it's a tiny problem in the context of this economy...It's a buying opportunity, especially for the financials, maybe like I've never seen before in my entire life.
[...]
Peter Schiff: This is just getting started. It's not just subprimes. This is a problem for the entire mortgage industry. It's not just people with bad credit that committed to mortgages they couldn't afford. It's not just people with bad credit who are going to see their home equity vanish... This is going to be an enormous credit crunch...
Neil Cavuto: You must be a laugh-riot at parties.
(LAUGHTER)
[...]
Ben Stein: ...subprime is tiny. Subprime is a tiny, tiny blip.
Peter Schiff: It's not tiny. And again, it's not just subprime. It's the entire mortgage market.
Ben Stein: You're simply wrong about that... Defaults for the whole mortgage market are tiny.
[...]
Ben Stein: I think stocks will be a heck of a lot higher a year from now than they are now.
A year and a month later, in the Global Financial Crisis of September 2008, global stock markets crashed, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken over by the US government, AIG was bailed out by the Federal Reserve, Merrill Lynch was sold to Bank of America Corporation, and Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs confirmed that they would become traditional bank holding companies.

http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=180247

[Evan Wiener]

Are you saying he's not the leading edge expert on dry eyes?!

No, he never claimed to be an optometrist.

[badpoet]

http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=180247

If you read the paragraph, his citation, for the show and the air date of the show, is right there.

[EasyE726]

Who the hell is Ben Stein?

R.L's brother.

[bradical]

If you read the paragraph, his citation, for the show and the air date of the show, is right there.

oh, no. my joke is ruined.

[Frozen Sooner]

You know, the guy holds a BA in Economics from Columbia and used to practice poverty law.

While I disagree with him on a lot of things, I'm willing to bet he knows a fuckload more about race relations and economics than your standard random asshole.

[Pick The System!]

While I don't really care for Ben Stein, I acknowledge his intelligence.

[Wigner's Friend]

Ben Stein was an economist for the Department of Commerce, was the valedictorian of Yale Law School, taught a course on civil rights relationship with the Constitution at Santa Cruz, plus he's a recognizable figure in the media. The fact he's Herbert Stein's son also helps.

[RickLM]

The problem is, people get bored with true experts. They'll tune in to a discussion on world poverty if they see Bono is on the screen; but if it's Charlie Rose sitting at a table with a bunch of non-famous authorities on the subject, they don't give a shit.

[mike black]

Ben Stein was an economist for the Department of Commerce, was the valedictorian of Yale Law School, taught a course on civil rights relationship with the Constitution at Santa Cruz, plus he's a recognizable figure in the media. The fact he's Herbert Stein's son also helps.

He knows nothing! NOTHIIIIIIING!!!!! :-x

[bachman]

I'm guessing you started this thread because he said some things you don't personally agree with. But, um, he does have a pretty impressive resume.
You do know he's not just an actor and a guy that does commercials, right?

-He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

-Stein has frequently written commentaries on economic, political, and social issues, along with financial advice to individual investors. He is the son of noted economist and writer Herbert Stein

-He was first a poverty lawyer in New Haven, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C. before becoming a trial lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission.

-Stein's first teaching stint was as an adjunct professor, teaching about the political and social content of mass culture at American University in Washington, D.C., and then at University of California, Santa Cruz. He also held classes on political and civil rights from the United States Constitution at UC Santa Cruz. At Pepperdine University in Southern California, Stein taught libel law and United States securities law and its ethical aspects. He was a professor of law at Pepperdine University Law School, from about 1990 to 1997

-Stein writes frequently on a variety of topics, including politics, investing and economics. He writes a regular column in the conservative magazine The American Spectator. He has also written for numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Penthouse, Los Angeles Magazine and Barron's Magazine

[bachman]

What the fuck kind of economist are you if you didn't see the problems with the lending industry merging with investment banking?

:roll:

So, by your logic, all "smart" economists should be rich right now? Because in 2007, they would have sold all their real estate investments and locked in long-term interest rates, before they plummeted...

[cPol]

Here's the long and the short of it: Without Ben Stein, an entire generation of people would have no idea about the Laffer Curve, which says that on one point on the revenue curve, you get the same amount of revenue as you do with the same point on the opposite side of the curve. It's very controversial. Do you know what Vice President Bush called that in 1980? Anyone? Something D-O-O economics...? "Voodoo" economics.

[Evan Wiener]

:roll:

So, by your logic, all "smart" economists should be rich right now? Because in 2007, they would have sold all their real estate investments and locked in long-term interest rates, before they plummeted...

Alright, let me restate my opinion. Ben Stein can offer his opinion, but if his opinion is not reflected in the Constitution, his opinion means shit when discussing what was legal in the Gates arrest controversy.

On the subject of economics and especially on the theory of evolution, I say his partisanship clouds his better judgement, or he's using the Glenn Beck or Bill Maher approach, making strawman arguments and being a contrarian just to be controversial and get attention and make money. I detest people saying dumb shit, knowingly misinforming or letting their passions overrule their better judgement, then labelling themselves as an expert, and making money from it.

[bartleby]

Well, the NY Times has sort of granted your wish, although it's on something of a technicality. (http://gawker.com/5331835/pitchman-ben-stein-gets-economist-ben-stein-fired-at-the-new-york-times)

[usagi20]

alright, let me restate my opinion. Ben stein can offer his opinion, but if his opinion is not reflected in the constitution, his opinion means shit when discussing what was legal in the gates arrest controversy.

On the subject of economics and especially on the theory of evolution, i say his partisanship clouds his better judgement, or he's using the glenn beck or bill maher approach, making strawman arguments and being a contrarian just to be controversial and get attention and make money. I detest people saying dumb shit, knowingly misinforming or letting their passions overrule their better judgement, then labelling themselves as an expert, and making money from it.

qft

[Dylan]

You know, the guy holds a BA in Economics from Columbia and used to practice poverty law.

While I disagree with him on a lot of things, I'm willing to bet he knows a fuckload more about race relations and economics than your standard random asshole.

I'd also add that his 1982 book 'Ludes is pretty fantastic.

[Dan-C]

You know, the guy holds a BA in Economics from Columbia and used to practice poverty law.

While I disagree with him on a lot of things, I'm willing to bet he knows a fuckload more about race relations and economics than your standard random asshole.

Yep. He's a smart guy. He also worked in the Nixon white house. I believe he was a speachwriter, but I;d have to look that up to confirm it.

[Albert]

He's on Larry King right now, talking about the arrest of Gates

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/Gates_%28comics%29.jpg?

[WinterRose]

Who the hell is Ben Stein?

He was the guy teaching economics at Ferris Bueller's high school.