Posted on 09/19/2007 5:15:55 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
Today brings a mixed bag for aficionados of the New York Times. The good news, assuming you enjoy reading the musings of Maureen Dowd, Thomas Friedman, David Brooks et al., is that the Times' house columnists have been freed from behind the paid-subscription wall of Times Select.
On the other hand, Paul Krugman has decided that his column isn't enough to contain his wisdom, and that he will henceforth be inflicting his blog on us. He entitles it "The Conscience of a Liberal," which as he notes is also the title of his recent book.
Give Krugman credit for giving us fair warning. He does let us know that "the politics and economics of inequality will, I expect, be central to many of the blog posts." And sure enough, central to today's blog is the chart pictured here, which depicts the percentage of the country's total income earned by the top 10%.
In a nutshell, Krugman applauds the way income inequality declined under FDR, and rues the fact that in recent decades it has increased due to "the vast right wing conspiracy," which he assures us does indeed exist.
Most revealing are these two Krugman statements:
[The chart is] "central to how I think about the big picture, the underlying story of what’s really going on in this country."
And Krugman's conclusion [emphasis added]:
[T]he story of modern America is, in large part, the story of the fall and rise of inequality.
To which my simple response would be: why? Why should income equality be the most important gauge of Amercan society? The obvious -- but unstated-by-Krugman -- answer is that as a liberal, Krugman is committed not to equality of opportunity, but to equality of result. This kind of acute egalitarianism is an echo of Marxism's central redistributionist principle: from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.
This is fundamentally antithetical to the principles of "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" upon which this country was founded. Our goal should be equality before the law. Government should not seek to use its powers to re-engineer outcomes. That should, rather, be the result of individual endeavor.
You might call Krugman's inability, or refusal, to recognize this fundamental tenet of American philosophy . . . the unconsciousness of a liberal.
Unconscious Paul Krugman ping to Today show list.
That is the significant news about the "Old Sagging Gray Whore".
Fishing in the wrong pond, are we?
They sleep-walk through their lives as if they were on Ambien all the time.
The sleep aid, Zolpidem, sold under the trade name Ambien, is the best-selling prescribed sleeping pill in the US. It's estimated that over 25 million prescriptions for this drug were filled last year, and usage is growing. Lately it's been linked to some very bizarre behavior.
That was the era of the Great Depression. It was the same sort of leveler that death is.
What the heck is wrong with "income inequality"? Seriously - why should anyone care about this utter nonissue?
Everybody else calls it the Depression and World War II. I guess that's what he wants the sorry SOS.
BTW, after WWII, the U.S. was about the only place left with an industrial infrastructure. Is Krugman saying we should destroy the infrastructure in the rest of the world for our benefit?
And why isn't he pointing out that the middle class today is much richer than the middle class of 1960? Those who can't see that should watch an old episode of the Honeymooners.
Who takes this sleep-walking socialist serious...other than the other same-think sleepwalkers.
It appears Krugman is setting up his blog because that’s where all the compatriot crazies hang out, plus even he recognizes that the NY Times as we know it will likely be gone-zo in the next 12 months
Mark, thanks for summarizing the wild, wacky far, far left. Your tireless willingness to consume mass quantities of drivel, on my behalf, is most appreciated.
Freedom and misery for all!!
Paul “faggot” sludgeman is a communist. Next.
I am unaware of a single prediction he has made that has come to pass. If someone knows of one i would be most suprised.
Another instance in which people mistakenly think that they are entitled to have everything they want, ideally paid for by the "gubmint", i.e., taxpayers. "Pursuit" merely indicates that they should have the opportunity to achieve happineess.
modern- long expanding neconomy
but I digress
look at Cuba.... Castro- multiple billionaire, everyone else- dirt poor
That isn't a market economy. There is no law in America against poor people increasing their income. Just as there is no law in America guaranteeing the rich their wealth.
The chart proves America is the land of opportunity.
Those who have worked the hardest, smartest, or have somehow set themselves apart, have out paced most other people.
If you want more in America, you can have it. If you’re content with less, which is perfectly fine, then you’ll probably have less.
It is obviously a controversial theory, and I don't know how much of rising income "inequality" it explains. (Perhaps very little.) The theory requires that the variance in IQ and other cognitive abilities is increasing, and that IQ is a good predictor of income. I don't know the answer to these questions. But that it isn't much discussed is unfortunate.
“Your tireless willingness to consume mass quantities of drivel, on my behalf, is most appreciated.”
You’re very welcome, but really, don’t thank me: the credit goes to my daily Prilosec ;-)
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