Friday, October 29, 2010
Listen to Me, I'm Always Right 22
Rachel Maddow and Paul Krugman are just flat-out geniuses. Not, mind you, because they necessarily know what they're talking about, but because of this fool-proof form of logic that they've somehow/incredibly constructed (a system of argument in which they simply cannot be proven wrong)................................................................................................Here, me-buckos, is basically how it works (and, yes, I'm obviously referring here to their somewhat radical views on deficit/stimulus spending). If and when, on those sporadic occasions when government spending does stimulate the economy, there they are, Ms. Maddow and Mr. Krugman, obviously (and, yes, perhaps legitimately so) claiming that they're right. But, when in fact it doesn't work, they can also claim to be right by simply saying that the spending wasn't large enough..............................................................................................So, for instance, when somebody points out that the Japanese stimulus programs of the '90s didn't work, they can simply counter this by saying that that was only because the packages weren't large enough. They can also say that the reason Roosevelt never got us out of the Great Depression was because he didn't spend ENOUGH, that the reason Mr. Carter never really got the economy going (in the '70s) was because HE didn't spend enough, that the reason the latest U.S. stimulus program (all 862 billion of it) hasn't been effective (some conservatives would say that it hasn't been effective at all - I personally wouldn't go THAT far) was because IT wasn't big enough.............................................................................................You do see what I'm saying here, right? You simply cannot beat them. Well, unless, that is, you take a shot and maybe point out the absurdity of it . Not, of course, that they're ever going to admit to....
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5 comments:
Only cause silence may infer agreement, I actually agree with the govt spending examples, all except for Carter cause of the oil shocks throwing things out of whack.
I would say as far as FDR and Obama there wasn't enough spending.
Bruce Bartlett did a graph awhile back detailing the output gap-gap between what the economy produced and what it is capable of producing-when FDR attained office was about 4 times what he spent.
IMO Obama should have called for far more spending,little in the form of tax cuts and far more aid to states to preserve jobs.
OTOH I also believed the Dodgers were gonna be far more competitive so what the hell do I know.
I'm not an anti-Keynesian, Oso. I just think that it maybe boils down more to good spending vs. bad spending. And, unfortunately, both parties seem to be much more proficient in the latter.
Yeah good point Will-good spending vs bad is a good way to put it.
You're not anti-Keynesian? You could have fooled me with this post. The whole point of your screed must have been just to bash Rachel Maddow and Paul Krugman.
The stimulus wasn't 862 billion. It was only around 500 billion -- the rest was tax cuts. That's my criticism and what I believe RM's and PK's criticism is as well. Not enough was spent, and to much of it was tax cuts. And I'm sure if asked each could find some spending they disagree with or even thinks was wasteful.
But of course you know that's not the case. They just think not enough was spent, end of discussion. It's an utterly ridiculous assertion me-bucko.
When I saw the title I thought you were talking about yourself. After reading the post I'm convinced you were.
BTW, why is there a "22" at the end of your post title?
Per usual, you're throwing a lot of stuff at me. 1) No, I am not totally anti-Keynsian. I think that, yes, it is sometimes necessary to deficit spend. But I think that it's important to spend the money wisely and not have it go to a lot of dumb pet projects (big digs, roads to nowhewre, etc.). 2) I AGREE with you on the tax-cut component of the stimulus package. It did little more but create yet another monstrous hole in the deficit. 3) I never hear Maddow and Krugman talk about Wasteful government spending unless it involves tax cuts to the rich and/or military spending. 4) If deficit spending alone was the way out of this recession, don't you think that we'd probably be well on our way already; 1.6 trillion dollar deficits, a 14 trillion dollar national debt? 5) No, I do NOT think that I'm always right. I was just marveling at how shrewd that this naked partisans have become in their crass ability to insulate themselves.
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