The end of the blog

Yes, as the title of this post says, it's the end of the blog — and this is a sad moment for me.

Now, before you start celebrating too loudly, I am not talking about the end of my blog. For better or worse, this one is going to continue in 2010, with the help of my able economic adviser, Maynard.

Nor am I talking about the end of blogs in general. One never knows when they will be overtaken by a new, more popular feature. But I think it is safe to say that blogs as we currently know them still have a while to run.

No, I am talking about the end of my favourite blog on the topic of economics. This is — or rather, was — the "Maverecon" blog, written by Willem Buiter, a professor at the London School of Economics (LSE).

I knew Buiter from my time as a Ph.D student at the LSE in the early 1980s. He was a rare beast, a lecturer who was both brilliant and hilarious. His blog, which appeared on the website of the Financial Times, had the same ingredients.

Buiter's posts were often inordinately long and, as the author made clear, were written for the benefit of one person only: himself. But they were always entertaining and informative. For an excellent example, read Buiter's views on gold.

Now, the blog is to be "mothballed" because, from 1 January, Buiter is taking up a new position as chief economist at Citi. The blog has to be closed, says Buiter, because, "in Maverecon I wrote under the cover of ‘academic immunity’".

Academics, writes Buiter, "have no duty other than to state the truth as they see it" and can be "undiplomatic, blunt, tactless and outspoken in ways that are unacceptable in the wider world — the world of grown-ups".

For example, Buiter points out that, unlike his blog, his public statements for organizations he has worked for in the past have never included the words "complete bollocks".

So, with a tearful eye, I say "bye, bye Buiter blog". But I have the feeling that he will be back one day. And those of you who haven't read Buiter's final post from 1 December, can do so here.