John Gibbons: Higgins was right with magical thinking view of economists

President Michael D Higgins hit a raw nerve with his comments during a recent address to the think-tank TASC, with the backlash fierce and the speech described as ‘lazy’ and an ‘uninformed spiel’. Picture: Maxwells

Hell hath no fury like an economist scorned, as President Michael D Higgins has discovered in recent days. The backlash to his recent address to TASC, the think-tank, has been fierce, with economists queueing up to describe it as “lazy” and an “uninformed spiel”.

Having read President Higgins’ 3,600-word address in full, I am at a loss to understand what provoked such a venomous reaction. Apart, that is, from the fact that he hit a raw nerve.