Why Is Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman Talking About an Alien Invasion…Again?

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/why-is-nobel-laureate-paul-krugman-talking-about-an-alien-invasion-again/ ^ | 6/21/12 | Erica Ritz

[Nachum]

In August of 2011, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman attached himself to a theory that earned him endless mockery from the right.

“If we discovered that, you know, space aliens were planning to attack and we needed a massive buildup to counter the space alien threat and really inflation and budget deficits took secondary place to that, this slump would be over in 18 months,” he declared, arguing in favor of the president’s stimulus package. “And then if we discovered, oops, we made a mistake, there aren’t any aliens, we’d be better [off].”

Now, a little less than 12 months later, the stimulus package has been passed and economic recovery is nowhere in sight. What is Nobel laureate, Princeton professor, and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman’s solution?

Again, prepare for an alien invasion.

Yes, Krugman stands by his “alien” strategy, arguing with Paul Solman: “The great military buildup that began in 1940 as the United States scrambled to get ready for the possibility of getting involved in this war was what brought us to full employment…” but as Solman interrupted: “But we’re not likely to have a credible alien threat any time soon,“ Krugman joked that he probably should have ”broached the thing quietly to some people at NASA“ before ”[giving] the game away.”

Watch the video, below (alien reference begins at 2:18):

Solman asked: “are you suggesting then that there needs to be some collective fiction?”

[lonevoice]

Okay, I get it; the reason Obama doesn’t have a birth certificate is that he’s from Mars.

No, couldn't be. Men are from Mars, Obozo must be from Venus.

[Stosh]

I think Krugman misses the point of the World War II recovery.

The war era itself was a period of enforced austerity: on the home front we had rationing, victory gardens, and bond drives, and on the field the troops led lives of unimaginable austerity.

After the war, our economy took off because we had no competition - everybody else of any importance had their countries bombed all to hell. The Europeans didn’t recover from the war for decades - and then only with our help.

So it wasn’t the “common enemy” (alien or not) that brought us out of the war, it was the sacrifices inherent in fighting a war, and the economic advantages of winning one that were most responsible.

Now where’s my damn Nobel Prize?

[Stosh]

Make that “brought us out of the depression”, not “out of the war”.

And if Carter, Gore, and Obama got one, as well as a pinhead like Krugman, I still say I deserve a Nobel.

[Iron Munro]

They’re not aliens.

They’re undocumented intergalactic travelers.