Maverick Economist Alfred Kahn has a penchant for candor that is both refreshing and dangerous in Washington. When he said that there is the possibility of a “deep, deep depression” if inflation continues to soar, the President was furious. Kahn responded by purging the word depression from his vocabulary and instead using “banana.” So he now says: “We’re in danger of having the worst banana in 45 years.”

– Business: Yes, We Have No Bananas (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919922,00.html)

 Words have power. That’s why an ad slogan is so persuasive. It’s why people polish speeches. It’s why society sometimes considers words taboo.

Sometimes, words are taboo for politically expedient reasons. Economist Alfred Kahn learned this when he felt forced to substitute the word “banana” for the word “depression”. Continue reading →