Overflow crowd at the Nation Institute's economic policy panel

Meltdown: The Economic Collapse and a People's Plan for Recovery, originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein.

MANHATTAN, NY.

The Nation Institute's panel discussion on progressive responses to the economic crisis attracted a huge amount of interest.

Join Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, author and activist Barbara Ehrenreich, Black Commentator's Bill Fletcher, Jr., Nation D.C. editor Christopher Hayes and author and director of the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, Jeff Madrick, as they debate, discuss and deliberate on the current economic crisis and what we can do to help in the recovery process.

By the time I arrived, about two minutes before the program was supposed to start, the entire auditorium was full and over 30 people were waiting on the sidewalk.

A woman in a gray knit hat said that a staffer had already come out to announce that there was no more room. But they were all still there, hoping someone would have a change of heart and let them in.

"We're wondering if we could rush the door," the woman said, jokingly.

I was disappointed that there weren't any seats left, but it was exhilarating to see so much enthusiasm for a panel discussion on economics at eight o'clock on a Friday night.

You can watch online here. Last I checked, about 300 people were watching the live stream at home.

Comments

[Eric Jaffa]

Do you know how many people were let in?

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

The Society for Ethical Culture's auditorium seats 800 people. I went a jazz concert there last summer. Judging by the video, it looks as if they held the panel in the main auditorium, but I'm not positive.

[royalking]

How dare they not let you in! :)

Archie.

[cfrost]

Isn't it just lovely that after thirty-odd years of Reaganomics, Thatcherism, Bushonomics, cowboy-capitalism, and outright piracy, the dismal science is what now passes for entertainment.

[Eric Jaffa]

Do you know how this was publicized?

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

Economics, the greatest reality show of all time.

I found out about the event through a flier that the Nation Institute emailed to me. Laura Flanders did an interview with Barbara Ehrenreich on GritTV earlier that day. I think the whole thing will be broadcast on CSPAN next week.