For a generation, economists had primarily emphasized the goal of economic efficiency and paid far less attention to distributive outcomes…… More recently, however, as the extent of inequality became increasingly apparent, important volumes appeared, particularly those by Stiglitz, Frank and Piketty.

The US economy is sluggish and expanding at merely 2% per annum, which is hardly sufficient to reduce its high unemployment rate.................We should act now so that the “New Kennedy Tax Cuts of 2014” could take effect at least by February 26, 2014, which marks the 50th anniversary of the original Kennedy tax cuts.

During the 1980s, Japan attracted considerable attention in the United States and elsewhere as a model for economic progress. At the same time, many suggested its policies should be emulated by American leaders. Then came the complete reversal of the 1990s.................Despite their appeal, there is increasing evidence that austerity policies don’t work, as is clearly evident in the Eurozone economy. They don’t bring market economies out of recession but instead frequently make conditions worse. That is the lesson to be learned from the recent Japanese experience.

In the 1970s, Americans joked about the Soviet leader who ordered the execution of doctors for causing a mysterious disease in a particular region. The reason given was the strong correlation between the number of patients afflicted with the disease and the number of doctors in the region. We recognized that doctors had come to the region to treat the disease so that their greater numbers were the effect and not the cause of the problem. Strikingly, decades later, many Americans are making the same mistake by again confusing cause and effect and, this time, trying to kill government deficits.................Both the impending tax increases and budget cuts must be averted, at least for now. At this point, we need not to kill the doctors but instead follow the old medical adage: "First, Do No Harm."

There is little question but that the Chinese economy, after its spectacular performance over the past two decades, is currently in the process of slowing down........................................Whether such policy shifts will occur is of course difficult to predict. For this reason, it is pointless to take either an optimistic or pessimistic view on the Chinese economy. Much depends on the course of actions taken by China's political leaders and policy makers. As is often the case, the adequacy and foresightedness of economic policy is critical.

Two of the most prominent economists of our time, one conservative and one liberal, recently published easy-to-read books with catchy titles, which look somewhat similar, but are actually very different and even diametrically opposed to each other in content........................................Until they write next books with more international perspectives after the fever of the presidential elections is over, the reader should not take their extreme views too seriously and just enjoy reading how far two economists could possibly differ from each other in dealing with the economic crisis in the US.

Japan is now in the process of recovering from the natural and nuclear disasters that hit the Tohoku region six months ago. It is apparent that reconstruction efforts are being made everywhere and things are gradually getting back to "normal," as the damaged nuclear reactors are almost under control and radiation levels are noticeably receding in the atmosphere of major cities in the Tohoku-Kanto regions as well as in the nation as a whole in terms of detected radiation contained in food and other materials........................................After all, rational decisions based on objective information are essential not just on the radiation problem but on broader issues such as the nuclear energy policy for Japan in the future.

The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March was an enormous tragedy. Thousands of people died and large segments of the country were decimated. Many suggested it was the greatest disaster to confront Japan since the Second World War. .....................................Policy-makers in Japan have been excessively concerned about financial issues and have let the real economy continue to stagnate. We need to be concerned that this same result does not happen in the United States.

There have long been pros and cons regarding the safety of nuclear power at home and abroad. Now it is apparent that Japan's nuclear crisis is seriously impacting nuclear energy policies all around the world, as the Fukushima nuclear accident has raised concerns over the safety of nuclear power plants and invigorated "anti-nuclear power" movements not only in Japan but also in other major countries. . .....................................Hopefully, Japan can find strong leadership to lead us in the right direction at this critical juncture.

Horrifying news headlines on Japan's nuclear crisis have been appearing in both the Japanese and foreign media for the last couple of weeks. People naturally worry if they read such headlines as "Tokyo water 'unfit for babies' due to high radiation" and "Radioactive levels in sea 1250 times higher than the safely limit" (BBC News). .....................................Hopefully, this will be done before the government's misleading statements and misguided decisions on radiation "contamination" become the fourth disaster following the trio of the massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents in Japan.

There has been a striking discrepancy among outside views of Japan's current crisis and future prospects following the trio of major disasters that it confronted in the past week. Following the 9.0 giant earthquake, the destructive tsunami wave and the nuclear plant emergency, the foreign media, particularly those from Western countries, have painted an apocalyptic picture about Japan's condition, especially its nuclear crisis......................................However, most speculators are smart investors who know better than that and probably anticipate a rather rapid recovery of the Japanese economy. The Western media should pay greater attention to these market signals in assessing Japan's ability to handle and overcome the current crisis.

Suppose you encounter a serious traffic accident. What to do? There is a progression of measures to take. First, stop the bleeding to make sure that matters don't get worse. Then rush the victim to the hospital where he can start on the road to recovery........................................The patient is barely out of bed, and it is not yet time for prevention. The need to find a "cure" remains the order of the day.

SIR – We read your briefing on the state of economics ("The other-worldly philosophers", July 18th). Our view is that the current economic calamity arises not so much from problems within our discipline as from the slavish devotion accorded it by outsiders......................................Markets may require "adult supervision". The insights of our discipline were oversold by those pursuing their own objectives; qualifications and cautionary statements were ignored.

Once again, child support concerns have attracted the attention of the Legislature. Its leaders have proposed a new Department of Child Support, which will elevate these issues to one of the major responsibilities of state government. ......................................It is, therefore, in the interest of mothers, fathers and children to adopt policies that support and encourage fathers to see their children regularly.