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The Paul Krugman Thread

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TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#51: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:38:23 PM

Don't look at me, I made Cha my dump stat.

Well, that and Strength. And Dexterity. And Constitution... What?! I had shitty die rolls!

In all seriousness, my dad used to have a theory about this. There are Wizards (or "Viziers") and there are Kings. Krugman is a Wizard. He needs a King.

edited 18th Sep '11 8:39:54 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#52: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:42:10 PM

The DnD jokes are lost on me because Dragon Age and Mass Effect are as close as I've come to playing the game...

Anyhow, sure, if you want to use the archaic terminology. That, or he needs to grow a spine and stand up for his beliefs, or, in other words, be more liberal...

edited 18th Sep '11 8:42:37 PM by USAF713

I am now known as Flyboy.
Karmakin Moar and Moar and Moar Since: Aug, 2009
Moar and Moar and Moar
#53: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:42:30 PM

Well, those people are out there. Rachel Maddow as an example, although the left doesn't have nearly as many "Level 2" transmitters as does the right.

What I mean by "Level 2" is that you have "Level 1", they're the thinkers. You have your Krugmans, you have your Heritage foundations, you have whatever. Then the information from them goes to the Level 2 transmitters, who repackage the content for the masses. Rush Limbaugh would be the classical example on the right.

So Krugman himself shouldn't have to do that work.

Democracy is the process in which we determine the government that we deserve
USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#54: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:43:44 PM

Why not?

"I just figure it out" isn't good enough. I want activists, not cowards. Don't hide behind the numbers, stand up for what you believe in.

If only because having all the crusaders on the Right makes the debates boring...

I am now known as Flyboy.
Karmakin Moar and Moar and Moar Since: Aug, 2009
Moar and Moar and Moar
#55: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:45:05 PM

Well, that's why the cult of centrism needs to die a horrible death. There's a certain privilege in our culture that accepts more of a combative attitude from the right than it does from the left. That's a big reason why you see what you see.

Democracy is the process in which we determine the government that we deserve
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#56: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:45:07 PM

Diminishing returns? Because Krugman is an ideas man. The opportunity cost of him going from ideas to politicing is too high. Get someone charismatic to talk for him, and you have a greater effect than those two people trying to do the same thing individually.

DarkConfidant Since: Aug, 2011
#57: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:45:40 PM

[up][up][up][up] Keith Olbermann and Ed Schultz would be the closest analogues I can think of on the left.

edited 18th Sep '11 8:45:53 PM by DarkConfidant

YoungMachete from Dallas Since: May, 2011
#58: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:46:50 PM

Also, it helps that the man himself is incredibly uncharismatic, like most academics. Also, if he tried to get into politics, he would have virtually no time to actually do what he cares about.

"Delenda est." "Furthermore, Carthage must be destroyed." -Common Roman saying at the end of speeches.
Karmakin Moar and Moar and Moar Since: Aug, 2009
Moar and Moar and Moar
#59: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:47:12 PM

Yeah. Them as well.

Although I much prefer Maddow, for a wide variety of reasons.

Democracy is the process in which we determine the government that we deserve
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#60: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:47:50 PM

Maybe he should have Hollywood create a movie about his life, starring George Clooney...

USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#61: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:48:09 PM

It's less the cult of centrism and the fact that the Left has decided to let its history taint its image personally.

I, frankly, don't even care if the Left is right or not. I don't necessarily agree with everything they do, anyhow. But a proper government needs at least two sides willing to counterbalance each other...

I am now known as Flyboy.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#62: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:48:43 PM

Why wouldn't you care if they're correct or not?

USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#63: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:50:33 PM

Because if they aren't standing up for what they believe in, I question whether they really believe in it, and that would make them unfit to govern regardless of the "rightness" of their position.

I am now known as Flyboy.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#64: Sep 18th 2011 at 8:57:22 PM

A.) That's ridiculous

B.) They're not governing, they're telling governors the facts necessary to govern (and calling them out when they're ignoring the facts)

C.) Being The Academic is a form of standing up for what you believe in.

Ultimately, the level of precision you get from academia isn't really feasible for recruitment, which is what you're talking about. You would have to sacrifice precision in order to get recruitment, and that's not Krugman's MO. Krugman being correct but unpersuasive does not prevent others from being persuasive-and by virtue of his being correct, he allows others who are persuasive to also be closer to being correct. It's a system.

edited 18th Sep '11 8:58:37 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#65: Sep 18th 2011 at 9:17:29 PM

[up][up]

The overall problem with that idea is the left doesnt generally value being a combative asshole as a reason to listen to you,

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#66: Sep 18th 2011 at 9:29:10 PM

Unless you're Keith Olbermann.

feotakahari Fuzzy Orange Doomsayer from Looking out at the city Since: Sep, 2009
Fuzzy Orange Doomsayer
#67: Sep 18th 2011 at 10:34:23 PM

I'm confused. Is, or isn't, Paul Krugman a combative asshole?

That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something Awful
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#68: Sep 19th 2011 at 7:19:31 AM

[up]

I think its more that he's like any academic. Rather sure of his findings and rather annoyed when people dont listen to a word he says because he doesnt have the political flair to sway idiots.

edited 19th Sep '11 7:19:39 AM by Midgetsnowman

silver2195 Since: Jan, 2001
#69: Sep 19th 2011 at 8:25:04 AM

[up][up]He kind of is. He has a bad habit of psychoanalyzing people who disagree with him.

Currently taking a break from the site. See my user page for more information.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#70: Sep 19th 2011 at 8:57:11 AM

He's one of those people where he likes to think success speaks for itself (where success is measured by the accuracies of his models in terms of real world predictive power).

RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#71: Sep 19th 2011 at 9:13:50 AM

A moment o' silence for the late Captain George Carlin, may he sail forever under clearer skies.

(What? It do be International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Shame we'll no see Black Krugman celebrate it in any of his arrrrrticles.)

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#72: Sep 19th 2011 at 9:16:41 AM

That's the second most out of context "let's mourn the fallen" post I've ever seen!

USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#73: Sep 19th 2011 at 1:21:45 PM

They're not governing, they're telling governors the facts necessary to govern (and calling them out when they're ignoring the facts)

I'm talking about the Left in general. Krugman is merely the epitome of what annoys the hell out of me in politics: someone who thinks they're right, can fairly well prove it, and yet is incapable or unwilling to stand up for it.

The overall problem with that idea is the left doesnt generally value being a combative asshole as a reason to listen to you,

Too bad. If you don't do it, nobody listens to you.

Charisma is more important than "being right" in politics. Is that fair or right? Probably not. But it's true, and so if they expect to get anywhere they have to play the game properly...

Nice guys finish last.

I am now known as Flyboy.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#74: Sep 19th 2011 at 2:19:12 PM

Krugman is happy to stand up for it. He's just not very good at it. He never backs down and he has his own blog. He goes on Colbert Report just to talk about economics, what more do you want from him?

It's not Krugman's job to be convincing. It's his job to be right. It's the job of the convincers to show that information and to convince. It is a multi-part process. It's like accusing an accountant of not getting your firm out of legal trouble, when they're an accountant, not a lawyer.

edited 19th Sep '11 2:20:16 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#75: Sep 19th 2011 at 2:20:48 PM

Get better at it, or find someone who's good at it.

I am now known as Flyboy.

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