Krugman....Ouch

[AllentownJake]

A funny thing happened on the way to a new New Deal. A year ago, the only thing we had to fear was fear itself; today, the reigning doctrine in Washington appears to be “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

What happened? To be sure, “centrists” in the Senate have hobbled efforts to rescue the economy. But the evidence suggests that in addition to facing political opposition, President Obama and his inner circle have been intimidated by scare stories from Wall Street.

Consider the contrast between what Mr. Obama’s advisers were saying on the eve of his inauguration, and what he himself is saying now.

In December 2008 Lawrence Summers, soon to become the administration’s highest-ranking economist, called for decisive action. “Many experts,” he warned, “believe that unemployment could reach 10 percent by the end of next year.” In the face of that prospect, he continued, “doing too little poses a greater threat than doing too much.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/opinion/23krugman.html?_r=2

[MannyGoldstein]

1. The Continued Marginalization Of Krugman By Emanuel/Obama Is Criminal

This has cost the lowest-earning 99.9% of America dearly.

[Captain Hilts]

6. And Dean. And Franken. And Clark. And Reich. nt

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Agreed

We need the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party to re-emerge after decades in a coma.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Stunning what the Obama campaign and DNC did NOT do for Franken in '08/'09. nt

[WCGreen]

10. Don't forget Brown and Kaptur from Ohio...

[vaberella]

13. No one is marginalizing the guy...he does it to himself.

If he cared so much, he'd join the system or volunteer himself to the system to get things done. However instead from what I hear he wants no part of it but prefers to sit on the sidelines and telling people to do this or that without knowing the ins or outs. From what I can see it gives him a chance to say, "I told you so," when things go bad and stay mum if he's in the wrong.

[SIMPLYB1980]

14. He just likes sniping to get hits on his website and

stay on the talking head shows.

[AllentownJake]

15. Amazing

A month ago when he posted something about the Health Care bill you all loved him. I simply said I disagree with him, I never projected anything bad or any ill feelings about Paul personally.

You have a problem with the opinion, state your problem, if you have a problem with Paul Krugman personally, that is your issue to work out.

Attack his ideas in the post or move on.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

20. No Jake, the point is that you say Obama is marginalizing him.

The truth is that Krugman is marginalizing himself because he knows he doesn't understand, nor is he capable of navigating political waters. He chooses to be on the sidelines. That is the entire point of the post.

[AllentownJake]

25. Where did I say he is in the margins somewhere

Paul Krugman has no less tact than Larry Summers. At least I think Paul can stay awake in meetings with the President or possibly not write memos advocating for exporting toxic waste to third world nations because they have lower health care (so they won't notice the ill effects) and life spans.

You don't campaign publicly for an administration job. None of us know the discussions, if any were had back in November/December 2008.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

27. My apologies - you didn't say that.

My confusion stems from your commenting in a sub-thread that starts of by stating that Krugman has been marginalized.

As for "campaigning for an administration job" - he was offered a post with the Clinton administration, which he turned down because he didn't think politics suited him.

[AllentownJake]

30. 1993 is a different time than 2009

I'm sure if Paul was called to participate in the economic council, he would join...than again, you deal with the problem of a second Joe Biden problem in the administration. Someone who unintentionally tells the truth at bad times.

[AllentownJake]

28. Also if the President of the United States asks you to serve your country

I've encountered very few individuals who have said no. I wonder if he was ever asked.

[vaberella]

31. Don't put "YOU ALL" with me in it. Please.

I never jump for joy when the man speaks. Others on this board wait for him with baited breath. I'm tired of being lumped as some sort of follower when it suits me. He's an economist and I take them all with a grain of salt. You may not do that and that's fine by you, but I do since I've dealt and read too many of these guys. I've said before and I'll say it again---people who act lke that with this guy are the same people who believe in the words of Nostradamus because in this case hindsight is the only thing. He talks only in the hypothetical and people think he's talking in the definite. Don't get me wrong---when it comes to economics it's extremely unpredicatable depending on the conditions---however this is actually the reason when you need to see when everything plays out. And so far we haven't seen anything played out fully.

I've already attacked it---he basis' his statements on conjecture and using past history to determine the outcomes---hypothetics in general. Take everything he says with a grain of salt... and that's my hold point. Further more---my response is to the poster who stated that the Obama admin or others in the political sphere were marginalizing him as though they have that power. So I don't see why you're telling me what to do when the poster I was responding too didn't give any real input except to make this declaration.

[mod mom]

2. "become comprehensible .....

"become comprehensible if you suppose that he’s getting his views, directly or indirectly, from Wall Street."

I've worried when he surrounded himself w Clintonites-some of the same flks who got us in this mess.

[AllentownJake]

3. They thought it was 1993

Unless there is about to be a technology boom developed in the US, they are about to be wrong.

[lildreamer316]

7. Here you go..

I was just reading this because it was linked to an article quoted in another post here.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-12/paulsons-revealing-phone-records/full

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

21. ...as said by someone with a Clintonite in their avatar.

Brilliant.

[Captain Hilts]

4. I will never understand how Candidates Obama, or Clinton were painted as progressives.

The primaries went centrist too early.

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. Add to the equation that the unemployment #'s are actually MUCH higher and

you have a recipe for disaster. It seems that our President is now firmly in "the bubble" and he cannot see the effect of this ravaging economy on average Americans. I agree with Krugman. Obama should take a moment to reflect on losing large swaths of the left in the next election. Dr. Dean was absolutely correct about Democrats getting slaughtered in the next few years if they can show no real progress to voters on the economy and healthcare.

One wonders whether the discussions at the Presidential level have determined that they can write off millions of Americans and still get re-elected.

[WCGreen]

11. If that happens, then I fear for the country...

Too much fear has been let loose to easily tamp down...

[SIMPLYB1980]

16. Yoda: "fear leads to the dark side"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJeKS0gNz48

[Captain Hilts]

12. It's about the lessons of 1937. nt

[BeyondGeography]

17. Kruck Fugman

[AllentownJake]

18. Ok

I'm glad to see the intellect of GDP matches that of an Eagles chat room.

[BeyondGeography]

19. Just trying to bring things down to the level of The Tenured One's political acumen

Eagles chat room? That's about right.

[AllentownJake]

22. I'm sure you were cheering his this is a Great Health Care Bill

a month ago.

[BeyondGeography]

23. Hardly...after he made such a stink about mandates during the campaign

and dedicated column after column to how Obama had it wrong on health care (and, more important to him at least, how all us Obama supporters were real meanies for daring to contradict him), I learned to stop paying attention to the Diva of Princeton.

[AllentownJake]

24. Funny thing is

He won that argument with the President on mandates

:rofl:

I still agree with the President or I mean Senator, so confusing. The guy I voted for April 22, 2008. I agree with that guy.

[BeyondGeography]

26. Funny thing is, Obama's position on mandates helped him win the election

putting him in a position to impose mandates. But you and the Paulie People missed that part.

[AllentownJake]

29. I didn't miss it

I had a wonderful post called the Audacity of Bullshit on the politics of it about a month ago.

Do a search, I know I got played. I'm hardly a Paulie, sometimes I agree, sometimes I disagree.

His total dismissing of the national debt is an issue with me, eventually people start worrying about you paying them back. That said, the administration moving to cut budgets next year, before a real recovery has taken off, has me shaking my head at the same time.