Paul Krugman is simply unbearable
English: Paul Krugman at the 2010 Brooklyn Book Festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I regularly watch ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on Sunday mornings. I think he is mostly a fair host and I make it a point to support a fellow Greek. So today, as has been the case for a while, I began watching the program. George introduced his guests on the “Powerhouse Roundtable.” One of those guests happened to be New York Times Economist Paul Krugman.
Let me just say it didn’t take too long for me to want to hurl a book at him. The guy simply is unbearable. He NEVER counters ANYTHING the White House says. I firmly believe he is just another spokesman for the administration. Today was no exception.
When George asked him what he thought of the recent announcement that the trillion-dollar coin wasn’t being minted Krugman began his barrage of Obama talking points. He used the habitual “Republicans are holding the economy ‘hostage’” sentiment shared by the President SEVERAL times in last year’s election. I have a problem with the phrase. This phrase expresses a distorted image of “rowdy, criminalist Republicans” holding “innocent, angelic Democrats” at gunpoint until Democrats do what they want.
In fact it is the President that has begun the second round of “debt ceiling” negotiations with an emphatic proclamation that he will not, under NO CIRCUMSTANCE, negotiate on the topic. Republicans must do as he says. I guess that is exempt from the “hostage” phrase because it is a Democrat making the demand.
Krugman also said that the Republicans were essentially forcing the president do something illegal by not raising the debt limit. They were forcing him to go around Congress. Yes, God forbid we have a check and balance system in place. Last time I checked it wasn’t illegal to balance the budget. Our politicians might think so, but it certainly isn’t. How exactly is it outrageous that Republicans actually want to tackle our debt problem? The only thing outrageous is the president seemingly is absent in all these negotiations. Most notably he sent Vice President Biden to do his job while he harped how horrible Congress had become during the most recent “fiscal cliff” negotiations.
I don’t have a problem with people of differing opinion. If anything I want to hear from them. That essentially is the reason for this blog. However, I don’t want to debate someone who only uses White House talking points. At least come up with your own words.
I thought of attaching the clip to this post, but decided I didn’t want to “torture” my readers with his obnoxiousness.
One more point to note Mr. Krugman:
When other people are talking, it is only professional and respectful to wait your turn to respond. You aren’t an adolescent any longer. At least I didn’t think so.
Before I get comments that I only rant on “liberal-leaning” individuals I’d like to point out that everyone is fair-game.
These posts should prove that:
Indiana senate candidate Richard Murdock makes stupid “rape” comment
Donald Trump’s announcement proves his irrelevance
Todd Akin is a legitimate idiot
Email: realtalkdebate2012@gmail.com
Twitter: @adrakontaidis & @talkrealdebate
16 Responses to “Paul Krugman is simply unbearable”
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- - January 25, 2013
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No argument here. Krugman is a smart guy, but far too polemical.
By the way, I love that you watch Stephanopoulos because he’s Greek.
glad you are in agreement lol
Well except for the Greek thing.
If he were Italian, now that’d be a whole different story!
lol yes it would
BTW not sure if you checked Twitter, but Huntsman was on as well at the top of the program. Good interview. Like him more with each interview. He was already my number #2 favorite in the primaries.
No I missed that! Huntsman is my favorite of any politician, Dem or GOP. Thanks for the heads up.
As soon as I saw that he would be on, I told myself I had to let you know. I know how much you like him.
It might be more accurate to say the White House listens to Paul Krugman — as any wise policy maker should. Brad Long agrees with Krugman on this issue, as do almost all economists. Those who don’t agree fully, don’t agree with the Republicans.
Krugman explains why the GOP position is a terrorist position, at greater length, in this interview with Moyers, taped earlier in the week.
http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/you-need-to-watch-this-paul-krugman-jobs-now-the-key-to-our-recovery/
Krugman’s right. Our nation’s future depends on our listening to him.
I never said we shouldn’t raise the debt limit. Obviously it will have to be raised. My point is that Krugman pretty much recites campaign talking points. He is smart guy. He can come up with his own phrases.
Calling Republicans terrorists is ridiculous. The president is the one who said he refuses to budge at all in these negotiations. They aren’t negotiations if you don’t negotiate.
Republicans essentially gave in during the most recent fiscal cliff negotiations. There weren’t any cuts in the plan. You can’t decide to wait until last minute to get a deal done so you can say hey they will tank the economy if they don’t do what I want.
There is no precedent that Democrats will make any spending cuts if the debt limit is so easily raised. Let me clear that I think the fact that we are even in this situation is due to a severe lack of leadership on everyone’s part.
They need to get it done.
No precedent for Democrats to make the changes to balance the budget? Bill Clinton and the Democrats did exactly that, and handed George W. Bush surpluses as he entered office.
Democrats make government work — which is what we need here. We don’t need to become a failed state. That didn’t work so well for Somalia, Greece, Mali, etc., etc., etc.
My comment was more so for the last decade. Unlike President Clinton, President Obama is seemingly unwilling to even build a relationship with opposing party leaders. They certainly haven’t made it easy, but if Clinton can get stuff done with Gingrich then Pres. Obama can get stuff done with Boehner.
Yes during his second term we saw some surpluses in the annual budget. However, we still had to raise the debt limit. The total debt continues to grow. No compromise has yet to seriously after that trend.
As for Democrats only putting people to work, I sincerely disagree. Our government is most efficient when we have a mixture of both major parties.
Getting them to actually get their job done is another thing.
Thanks for the all comments. Always interested to read differing opinions. The whole point of the blog.
Probably more accurate to say Krugman is “anti-Bear-able.” He prefers bull markets.
Doesn’t everyone? It’s just a matter of opinion I guess. You simply admire him more than I do. I just respectfully disagree with you.