As a teen my dad, older brothers, and my pastor were all intellectual bullies who genuinely believed that it was a God given priority to convince the women in their lives that this type of misogyny was the truth. That bad things follow when women refuse to accept their place in the world.
I had undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety, and it was hard to stand up for myself. They would talk in circles and throw bible verses at me, pretending that it was a fair debate all the while. I didnt know how to refute what they said, but I always knew something about it just didn't sit right. My college educated mom was so intelligent and intellectual and my big sister is still the quickest learner I've ever known. I was hyper emotionally intelligent (and aware/embarrassed of my dad and brothers ineptitude in that regard.) It just rang hollow, so I left that entire community behind as soon as I could.
Back then I would have killed to have someone like you speaking up on my behalf, and it's still so healing to hear those words now. Thank you. Thank you.
EDITED because I want to add that I am halfway to my first college degree and my sister is graduating with her bachelor's this Saturday. :)
It it so true about elite positions-there are many more capable people to fill them. I feel the same about corporate CEOs. I think their pay packages are outrageous and there are many more capable people to take their place.
You do our half of the population a tremendous service. I look to you for advice, explanation/understanding of economics principals and as a successful female representative in a convoluted, entwined, and complicated profession. You make it seem easy. Good on you Ms KAE.
Thank you, thank you for this! The costs of misogyny have been way too high for way too long. I love all your un-ranty posts which are so informative, but this rant is spectacular! I didn't know about what a nepo he was, which sheds much light on his insufferable arrogance. I am grateful for the day one of your posts first crossed my digital transom, and relish each and every one I read. Keep it up!
Kat, to quote a fun character in a fantasy TV series, “your name sings in my ears!”
But, tell us how you REALLY feel about Larry.
Joking aside, I’ve long wondered what this man was doing in public life - at all - let alone getting appointed to positions of influence far beyond the constraints of his character. I, too, hope that he fades into obscurity if not ignominy.
A woman who did not get the same grace as Larry during her 6 month tenure as Harvard’s President was Dr. Claudine Gay. No surprise here. Trump attacked her viciously and relentlessly. I was sad to see her leave before she had a real chance to prove herself.
As always, I continue to enjoy and respect your informative and instructive posts. Warm regards and happy holidays.
This speech happened while I was in college and watching college men react to the president of Harvard saying me are more likely to be brilliant was horrifying.
Yes, I imagine so. I’m much older. But, as a Harvard grad, I, too, was horrified.
By the way, do you follow Robert L Arnold by any chance? He is an excellent writer and has an an economics background. The piece he wrote this morning is titled “On the 2025 U.S. Economy.” He’s on Substack and on other social media platforms. His tagline is Defiance till Death. I can recommend him.
I worked for so many men like this in large global corporations between 1973-2013. It's disappointing and disgusting that the trend continued for all those years. When I retired I was working for a company full of frat boys in their 20s, 30s and 40s who worshipped and behaved like Summers. Nepo baby or not. Thank you for writing this essay. Your rage is my rage too.
The film, "Inside Job" provided an interesting contrast to the HBO version of the 2008 crisis, "Too Big to Fail." The latter portrayed Paulson et al as heroically trying to fix the oopsie daisies of the bankers around the tables. It did not, however, illuminate that among the Treasury, Fed, rockstars were the foundations of policy idiocy that led to the boo-boos of the Wall Street mafia in a way that "Inside Job" did. NOT highlighted in the HBO iteration was the intellectual "oxygen creator" of Larry Summers casting and supporting policies that were the butter in pan that fried the economy. His villainy being obscured behind the luminance of the bankers. To round out my deficient and mass market understanding of those events I did lean on "The Big Short," "Margin Call," and "Dumb Money" and it's wonderful telling of the GameStop manipulation. That Larry is also a member of the Epstein club comes as no surprise. The land of "Rules Don't Apply"
I appreciate the tips. I’ve become a bit of a fanatic about Representation of this moment in history in popular culture, and it’s easy to miss worthwhile additions
I never realized what a nepo baby he was. I got into the university of Iowa and Antioch......but couldn't go due to money and the Solomon Amendment...and he thinks minimum wage workers have life too easy
Thanks for writing this. I'm a 70 year-old retired male who worked for some terrific leaders. That included three women, two of which became CEO's. All had good results. One literally brought her company back from the dead after Enron sold its assets & dumped it. They provided me support at key points in my career, so I'm biased. Gender does not determine intelligence. People in high places aren't always there because of intelligence. I thank my Mom for teaching me those things.
I’ve read pieces sort of defending Summers that essentially say, yes, he’s done and said some bad things, but we’re all the poorer if we shun him because he’s such a genius! This is the asshole genius defense commonly used in the tech world, and it’s just as flawed here. How many geniuses has Summers denied us because he was a sex pest? How many women left the field even if they weren’t hit on by Summers, but didn’t receive the mentorship and glow of his genius that men seem to have experienced?
I have made this point so, so many times to college applicants. They complain that they are getting robbed of admission to elite institutions because DEI policies allow "clearly less qualified" candidates to "steal their spots."
I tell them they've got it backwards. Selective institutions have far more qualified pools to draw from than they have spots. This allows them to "sculpt" a diverse student body without compromising their academic standards, which makes the academic experience better for everybody.
I'm other words, you want to go there precisely because they're admissions policies are "unfair." Get over it.
As a teen my dad, older brothers, and my pastor were all intellectual bullies who genuinely believed that it was a God given priority to convince the women in their lives that this type of misogyny was the truth. That bad things follow when women refuse to accept their place in the world.
I had undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety, and it was hard to stand up for myself. They would talk in circles and throw bible verses at me, pretending that it was a fair debate all the while. I didnt know how to refute what they said, but I always knew something about it just didn't sit right. My college educated mom was so intelligent and intellectual and my big sister is still the quickest learner I've ever known. I was hyper emotionally intelligent (and aware/embarrassed of my dad and brothers ineptitude in that regard.) It just rang hollow, so I left that entire community behind as soon as I could.
Back then I would have killed to have someone like you speaking up on my behalf, and it's still so healing to hear those words now. Thank you. Thank you.
EDITED because I want to add that I am halfway to my first college degree and my sister is graduating with her bachelor's this Saturday. :)
Thank you for sharing, and good luck with school.
Thank you!
It it so true about elite positions-there are many more capable people to fill them. I feel the same about corporate CEOs. I think their pay packages are outrageous and there are many more capable people to take their place.
And if there aren’t there could be!
You do our half of the population a tremendous service. I look to you for advice, explanation/understanding of economics principals and as a successful female representative in a convoluted, entwined, and complicated profession. You make it seem easy. Good on you Ms KAE.
Thank you so much !
Thank you, thank you for this! The costs of misogyny have been way too high for way too long. I love all your un-ranty posts which are so informative, but this rant is spectacular! I didn't know about what a nepo he was, which sheds much light on his insufferable arrogance. I am grateful for the day one of your posts first crossed my digital transom, and relish each and every one I read. Keep it up!
Thank you so much for those kind words!!
Kat, to quote a fun character in a fantasy TV series, “your name sings in my ears!”
But, tell us how you REALLY feel about Larry.
Joking aside, I’ve long wondered what this man was doing in public life - at all - let alone getting appointed to positions of influence far beyond the constraints of his character. I, too, hope that he fades into obscurity if not ignominy.
A woman who did not get the same grace as Larry during her 6 month tenure as Harvard’s President was Dr. Claudine Gay. No surprise here. Trump attacked her viciously and relentlessly. I was sad to see her leave before she had a real chance to prove herself.
As always, I continue to enjoy and respect your informative and instructive posts. Warm regards and happy holidays.
This speech happened while I was in college and watching college men react to the president of Harvard saying me are more likely to be brilliant was horrifying.
Yes, I imagine so. I’m much older. But, as a Harvard grad, I, too, was horrified.
By the way, do you follow Robert L Arnold by any chance? He is an excellent writer and has an an economics background. The piece he wrote this morning is titled “On the 2025 U.S. Economy.” He’s on Substack and on other social media platforms. His tagline is Defiance till Death. I can recommend him.
Cheers and warm regards, Kelly
Ty !
🤗
I worked for so many men like this in large global corporations between 1973-2013. It's disappointing and disgusting that the trend continued for all those years. When I retired I was working for a company full of frat boys in their 20s, 30s and 40s who worshipped and behaved like Summers. Nepo baby or not. Thank you for writing this essay. Your rage is my rage too.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
The film, "Inside Job" provided an interesting contrast to the HBO version of the 2008 crisis, "Too Big to Fail." The latter portrayed Paulson et al as heroically trying to fix the oopsie daisies of the bankers around the tables. It did not, however, illuminate that among the Treasury, Fed, rockstars were the foundations of policy idiocy that led to the boo-boos of the Wall Street mafia in a way that "Inside Job" did. NOT highlighted in the HBO iteration was the intellectual "oxygen creator" of Larry Summers casting and supporting policies that were the butter in pan that fried the economy. His villainy being obscured behind the luminance of the bankers. To round out my deficient and mass market understanding of those events I did lean on "The Big Short," "Margin Call," and "Dumb Money" and it's wonderful telling of the GameStop manipulation. That Larry is also a member of the Epstein club comes as no surprise. The land of "Rules Don't Apply"
Definitely add “The Warning” from Frontline. That one is pure flame emoji. Oh and “Money Power and Wall Street” is so good.
I appreciate the tips. I’ve become a bit of a fanatic about Representation of this moment in history in popular culture, and it’s easy to miss worthwhile additions
This reminds me of Linda Nochlin’s seminal piece “Why have there been no great women artists?”
https://www.writing.upenn.edu/library/Nochlin-Linda_Why-Have-There-Been-No-Great-Women-Artists.pdf
High praise!!
I would include the word narcissistic.
We really need your smart, female voice to counter the patriarchal b.s. that dominates.
Lessons wrapped in a warning spearheaded with a rant - brilliant!
I feel a lot of things.
I never realized what a nepo baby he was. I got into the university of Iowa and Antioch......but couldn't go due to money and the Solomon Amendment...and he thinks minimum wage workers have life too easy
Thanks for writing this. I'm a 70 year-old retired male who worked for some terrific leaders. That included three women, two of which became CEO's. All had good results. One literally brought her company back from the dead after Enron sold its assets & dumped it. They provided me support at key points in my career, so I'm biased. Gender does not determine intelligence. People in high places aren't always there because of intelligence. I thank my Mom for teaching me those things.
🙌🏻
It is so nice to have your voice back in the mix, Kathryn! Can't wait for season 2 of Optimist Economy.
I’m excited too!
I’ve read pieces sort of defending Summers that essentially say, yes, he’s done and said some bad things, but we’re all the poorer if we shun him because he’s such a genius! This is the asshole genius defense commonly used in the tech world, and it’s just as flawed here. How many geniuses has Summers denied us because he was a sex pest? How many women left the field even if they weren’t hit on by Summers, but didn’t receive the mentorship and glow of his genius that men seem to have experienced?
I didn’t even touch on his policies, which I so frequently disagree with. It’s not his economics that’s th problem or the saving grace, it’s him.
Yes Kathryn!!!
I have made this point so, so many times to college applicants. They complain that they are getting robbed of admission to elite institutions because DEI policies allow "clearly less qualified" candidates to "steal their spots."
I tell them they've got it backwards. Selective institutions have far more qualified pools to draw from than they have spots. This allows them to "sculpt" a diverse student body without compromising their academic standards, which makes the academic experience better for everybody.
I'm other words, you want to go there precisely because they're admissions policies are "unfair." Get over it.
Thank you for distilling this so eloquently.
Kind words, because it felt long coming out 🤣