Posted on 05/27/2012 11:45:24 AM PDT by chessplayer
Last year New York Times columnist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman called for space aliens to invade earth so that the government would spend money to mount a defense thereby stimulating the economy.
As aliens have yet to comply with Krugman's wishes, he advocated on HBO's Real Time Friday that scientists should get together and lie about an imminent attack to boost federal spending.
PAUL KRUGMAN, NEW YORK TIMES: "This is hard to get people to do, much better, obviously, to build bridges and roads and healthcare clinics and schools. But my proposed, I actually have a serious proposal which is that we have to get a bunch of scientists to tell us that we're facing a threatened alien invasion, and in order to be prepared for that alien invasion we have to do things like build high-speed rail. And the, once we've recovered, we can say, Look, there were no aliens.
Paul Krugman, proof than not all idiots are useful.
Why don’t we just jack up legit defense spending?
Is this another example of the “higher truth” of the Left? Kinda like its “new morality”?
First of all, no politician actually needs a reason to spend money, it is just in their DNA. Second, agencies, especially NASA, already come up with trumped up scenarios like clockwork around budget time in order to get their share so this is already done.
Been there..done...Global Climate Change.....Carbon Credits...Next..??
The ongoing alien invasion from Mexico isn’t good enough for Krugman?
What an insensitive racist!
If you want things done you have to LIE LIE LIE , it’s the Democrat way
Well Mr. Krugman’s economic prescriptions have not worked in Europe. Three generations of deficit spending, borrowing and debt has certainly squandered capital. The result? Alas bankruptcy and poverty. Greece is just the opening act with Italy, Spain and France to follow. No bailout can be big enough and financial gimmicks simply do not produce wealth. The German economy is not as strong as the French wish. Things are not much better here in the US. A sitting President is at risk to losing a reelection bid. Historically such a scenario leads to a war. Iran is offering itself as a tempting target and will play the role of the alien.Extra terrestrials are not needed. Things can get ugly.
Why not just pass into law every household should have 50k rounds of ammo and a SAW?
No really, if we are invaded by aliens hi tech weapons on our side will be nullified.
It will depend on every citizen with a rifle behind every blade of grass to defend the planet.
This is an old science fiction novel plot. I think the name of the book was “Wild Card”, or something like that. Don’t remember the author, though...
The problem is we have these people who cannot tell the difference between old science fiction ideas (ie the outer limits, war of the worlds) and their blueprint for “how to get everyone to do what I believe”.
If you’re for idiotic but possibly useful ideas, how about immediate televised execution of people as soon as they spout an idiotic idea like this? Certainly would cull out the weirdos in a hurry. Make the other ones shut up real fast.
We already have a real alien invasion. Lets spend resources fighting that one.
The Nytimese have landed! They have shape-shifted into human form. Do not listen to (or read) them. Run away! Run away!
This idiot thinks government spending money that doesn’t exist is good for the economy.
How moronic is that?
...scientists should get together and lie...
They've already been there, done that...see AGW for details.
It's the same idea as what he is proposing.
Has Krugman ever actually done ANYTHING worthwhile in his career? Managed a product? Brought to market? Solved a real business product in a real business with real people? Not just the academic world?
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