No one called me about covering their links so I decided to toss this together. More dumbfuckery from this guy as always.
Once again I refuse to force you to pay for journolism so here’s the link:
The way it was: Some years ago, I attended a meeting in which President Barack Obama asked a group of economists for unconventional policy ideas. I distinctly remember him saying: “Don’t tell me that I should spend a trillion dollars on infrastructure. I know that, but I can’t do it.”
Even a broken clown is right twice a day.
The way it is: Top Democrats have agreed on a proposal to spend $3.5 trillion on public investment of various kinds, to be passed via reconciliation on top of a $600 billion bipartisan plan for physical infrastructure spending. And some news reports are treating this deal as a defeat for the left, because Bernie Sanders proposed spending even more.
A trillion here, a trillion there. Pretty soon you are exchanging lead for money.
Obviously, the reported agreement is just a proposal, and turning it into actual legislation will require agreement from every single Democratic senator. Still, there has clearly been an incredible change — a sharp move to the left — in what is considered politically realistic.
So how did big spending get its groove back? Let me offer five explanations.
First, COVID-19, and the extraordinary policy measures America took to limit economic hardship during the economy’s induced coma, had a lasting impact on economic ideology.
Large-scale disaster relief was obviously necessary; even Republicans voted for it. But the positive role played by the government during the pandemic helped legitimize an active role for government in general.
Second, the legend of Reaganomics has become unsustainable. It used to be common for conservatives to assert that Reagan’s tax cuts and deregulation ushered in an era of unprecedented economic success; in fact, I still hear that sometimes.
But these days the response to such claims is, “Do you even FRED, bro?” That is, have you even looked at the numbers available in places such as the wonderfully usable Federal Reserve Economic Data site? Overall economic growth has been slower since 1980 than it was in the decades before; thanks to rising inequality, growth for the typical family has been much slower. Real wages for most workers have stagnated.
For the record, this guy doesn’t even FRED, bruh. Here’s the CPI since 1957 and consider the CPI doesn’t even account for the things you probably spend the most money on: food and energy.
While I might agree with you on the mythos of Ronnie, let’s not pretend your method was never tried here, or anywhere else with no ill effects related to inflation.
And while most voters don’t FRED, they do have a sense of the underlying reality. Donald Trump’s actual policies were a replay of failed Republican orthodoxy, but his campaign slogan reflected the public’s realization that the post-Reagan era has, in fact, not been so great for workers.
Third, debt scaremongers have lost most of their credibility. The fiscal crises they kept predicting kept not happening. Leading economists have pointed out that even though debt numbers sound big, low interest rates mean that the cost of servicing government debt looks easily manageable. The Biden administration’s budget proposals note that real interest payments — that is, payments adjusted for inflation — are actually negative.
Also, many of the people who hectored the Obama administration about debt seemed to reveal a lot about their true motives by going quiet during the Trump years.
Like Hell I’m quiet. I’ve been calling you a dumb shit since Gerald Fucking Ford administration!
Now, it’s true that the big spending plans in the pipeline include “pay-fors” — that is, they include offsetting savings and revenue increases, so they won’t explicitly involve simply borrowing to pay for public investment. But the dissipation of debt panic means that Democrats won’t worry too much about how convincing those pay-fors look.
Fourth, the field of economics has become much more evidence-based than it used to be — and economists have assembled a great deal of data pointing to the benefits of public spending, especially aid to families with children. Conservatives will still insist that all government spending is wasteful, because that’s what they do, but the fact is that there is now strong evidence for major payoffs for the kind of spending Democrats are proposing.
”The increasing use of scientific jargon has permitted the state’s intellectuals to weave obscurantist apologia for state rule that would have only met with derision by the populace of a simpler age. A robber who justified his theft by saying that he really helped his victims, by his spending giving a boost to retail trade, would find few converts; but when this theory is clothed in Keynesian equations and impressive references to the “multiplier effect”, it unfortunately carries more conviction. And so the assault on common sense proceeds, each age performing the task in its own ways.” – Anatomy of the State
I wonder if he realizes he’s a tool for despots to satisfy what little conscience in their endeavor to pillage entire nations? Its one thing to don the gimp suit to scratch an itch, but imagine having to wear that suit everyday. What a bitch.
An aside: To the extent that any spending will receive bipartisan support, it will be on “hard” infrastructure such as roads and bridges, which do indeed need a lot of work. But for what it’s worth, there’s an even stronger case for very high returns on “soft” spending on people, which makes up the bulk of the Democratic proposal.
Finally, Republicans have lost interest in policy.
During the Obama years, GOP politicians mobilized their base with lies about Obamacare (seen any death panels lately?) and scare stories about budget deficits. Under President Joe Biden, they’re mobilizing the base with lies about a stolen election and insane claims about critical race theory.
How stupid is your audience? They removed the legislative language from the ACA that enabled “death panels”, dumbass. Here’s an editorial first lamenting they took it out, and then suggesting ways to address end of life issues. I wonder why they took that out? MAYBE CONSERVATIVES BITCHED ABOUT DEATH PANELS SO THEY TOOK IT OUT. That implies they were interested in policy. Is it a dumbass policy? Yes, and those cucks were happy to contribute.
Clearly, the Republican descent into madness is a bad thing; if you aren’t terrified for America’s future, you aren’t paying attention. But the craziness has, perversely, helped smooth the path for Democrats’ economic and fiscal agenda. Oh, old-line senators are still mumbling the usual denunciations of bigspendingsocialistjobkillers, but the GOP’s energy is focused on defeating imaginary satanic conspiracies, not blocking real Democratic spending plans.
Again, the big spending plans now on the table might still not pass. Democrats have a razor-thin majority in Congress, and failure remains an option. But right now, it looks as if big spending is making a comeback — and it’s doing so for all the right reasons.
Blah blah blah. Money printer go BRRRRRRR. Putz.
JFC, all this mental depression, followed by the real thing, let me off this trainwreck!
Nah, keep riding the crazytrain.
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/tepme3/soundtrack
/shilling
“Large-scale disaster relief was obviously necessary; even Republicans voted for it. But the positive role played by the government during the pandemic helped legitimize an active role for government in general.”
He writes this like he thinks it’s a good thing. Which he does. Because he’s an asshole.
He also falsely asserts that government played a positive role during the pandemic. They caused the whole fucking thing. They basically bribed people to avoid getting fed to the chippers. and they still fucked all of us in ways that will only be clear in the long run. Personally, I can count a half dozen small businesses that are gone forever. For no good reason.
Yep. I’ve seen dozens of small operations shut down that will never reopen. What about those people? Fuck your Grandma! Our overdose death rate exceeds the “Covid” one. Half of the small storefronts are boarded up. I tried to go to KFC the other night and they were closed.
For a long time, I wanted to believe that post-Nobel Krugman was just a decent guy who was wrong about a lot of stuff. But now I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s an execrable human being.
One of my favorite words.
Romance novels FTW!
#metoo
It’s so damn useful lately.
My favorite word is defenestrate. The fact that there’s a dedicated word for throwing someone/something out a window pleases me to an irrational extent, plus the word is just fun to say. Plus it has a good deal of utility in a figurative sense. Ex: “Paul Krugman defenstrated his knowledge of economics in order to become an opinion writer”.
+1 Prague
LOL okay then. Nothing to see here.
Because interest rates are low. Issuing trillions of dollars of bonds will have no effect on those rates, right? There’s literally no point where this money is going to get more expensive, in Krugnut’s world.
Stop the jokes, you’re killing me
/old people on SS
Large-scale disaster relief was obviously necessary; even Republicans voted for it. But the positive role played by the government during the pandemic helped legitimize an active role for government in general.
Ow, my head.
I have a cure for that.
The fiscal crises they kept predicting kept not happening.
I’ll give him this, he’s got quite the audacity for making this statement when inflation is the highest it’s been in decades and the Fed has removed the most effective tool for fighting inflation from their tool belt (higher interest rates). That certainly looks like the cusp of a crisis to me.
Leading economists have pointed out that even though debt numbers sound big, low interest rates mean that the cost of servicing government debt looks easily manageable. The Biden administration’s budget proposals note that real interest payments — that is, payments adjusted for inflation — are actually negative.
Free money. We’d be fools not to spend as much as we can print.
MMT says it can last forever with the right people in charge. Any deviance is caused by not the right people being in charge
/Bernie S.
I guess this went to press before the NEA gave the game away. Oopsie, caught in another lie.
He accidentally made a decent point. However, he ascribes the wrong causation, of course.
Fuckhead Krugman makes me think, and I quote, ” Heads. Spikes. Walls.”
Tzompantli?
We do seem to be encouraging the worship of the Aztec pantheon, some of their other habits might come in handy.
That seems like a nice way to display things. Maybe not human skulls. What’s something less violent and deathy?
Music for the lady
https://youtu.be/9o0rAvZtM7w
“hard” infrastructure such as roads and bridges, which do indeed need a lot of work.
How years of “fixing” infrastructure will it take til it’s done? Need to start replacing all of the shitty work done under Obama’s shovel ready projects, years ahead of when ir should be.
The beauty that it’s never done – especially when you have labor unions skimming billions off the top.
The vaccine passport thing was a big NothingBurger. Not a peep about anyone’s confidential health info. Just told us Austin was now at a “Stage 4!!!!!”, so everyone had to wear masks.
Me being me, I strolled in, sans mask, no one saying a damn thing. 🙂
My wife didn’t want to go after she sorta pried outtakes me that I was gonna tell them that vaccine passports were now illegal, but talked her down from that, and so here we are waiting for the show about Oscar Wilde to begin.
“Outta me”, not “outtakes me”. FN autofuckitup.
Are you being meta?
/Shirley
Enjoy your play. I’m glad you don’t have to do battle for it.
+1 intercrural sex
What’s that about rural sex?
Rural sex
Boy howdy, she can dust my crops any day.
Okay that is awesome. I had a country girl from Oklahoma once upon a time. She had her priorities right. Seeds in the ground then seeds in the mound. Made for a lot of Winter babies.
The stagehands looked confused and said, ” There’s only the one big stage!”
Krugman is a product of his insular existence, being lauded with praise, shielded from any challenges that might point out how obviously he’s sold out. He says what he knows his patrons want to hear, safe in the knowledge that they assist in protecting him from any criticism, and he can kid himself that his Nobel prize was the rite by which he ascended to being a made man, completely untouchable. Krugman is naked. Deep down, he knows this, but his patrons, masters, and all who rely on his word to present as somehow authoritative all imagine his wardrobe for him. We see his withered form clearly. His shame is on display for all to see.
Well said. Indeed.
Yes. Fuck that guy!
Anyone seen Grohl and company doing the Bee Gees? really good stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKle2p9W5To
You should be Dancing, Amazingly good,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4DeaXf1FzE
Night Fever, oh Hell yeah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rffCEMl9QuQ
Yusef likes the disco moosic
Reading Krugman is a very jarring reminder that some people live in a very different reality from mine.
Im off to work, kids. Hold it down for me while Im gone.
Are friends Electric? Mine are,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzSM3pRtgcM&list=RDQzSM3pRtgcM&start_radio=1
Oh hell yeah ?
Love Numan
I’m watching people walking into an empty stadium waving flags. Call me sentimental but I still get into this.
I stopped watching after about 45 minutes. NBC’s programming choices have made it unappealing to continue.
However, that chevy commercial with the cat was top notch.
BTW, buy a Latitude 64 River, don’t ask, just do it, 77-12
you will love he thing, my first non Innova disc,
I have a couple of them.. good discs!
Guh it’s not even live. Pass.
We paused a few times so now I can skip the commercials. I’m pleased with the artistic part being shorter, less weird, and not being a tribute to some government agency.
80’s calling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNx96OqSsWs
Oz 1980s:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bDO5KwDBgy8
Another 1980s Oz classic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDO5KwDBgy8
Finally one I’ve heard before.
One more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gmgwx77osw
Probably the first song to use the words “your pubic hairs around my pillow.”
Wendy loved this one, 80’s Caling,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-VcMcHHoFg
Nice. A classic.
honestly, I thought you might, so i did,
Cheers!
YES.
Saw them live a couple years ago at an 80’s club, great show. I should be seeing them again in December, I think – was supposed to see them last spring, but the show was postponed because
Dr. Fauci was giving money to the Chinese to develop bioweaponssome random thing happened for no reason.Lets get depressed and stoned,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H78yhjo4m7U&list=RDH78yhjo4m7U&start_radio=1
Challenge accepted.
Can’t get stoned..wish I could but I am all for it buddy.
His kid had some good songs, with this one being my favorite. Hits ya in the feels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KcYoAMell4
So to summarize Das Krugman: because the ungodly amount of money the US spent in 2020 didn’t instantly collapse the economy, it’s fine to spend ungodly amounts of money again in 2021. Because spending trillions when you used to spend billions is really only a couple bucks more.
These people should be forced to count to a trillion before they’re allowed to spend that much.
Heads! that Talk!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKti7QixnJI&list=RDH78yhjo4m7U&index=3
odds and ends
Got a flash burn on my upper arm. My welding sleeve slipped and I didn’t notice, so now I have a tan line from hell. The blister was big enough to put a gift shop on.
Also got issued a harness for when I’m working high up. I’d rather hang off a scaffold than look at a screen all day.
During my road trip out west last month, the steering on my car went out (I could barely turn left) near Baker, NV (population 58). Luckily, there was a mechanic and he let me camp in his backyard until the parts came. Upon further inspection, a weld broke on the sub-frame. He advised me to junk the car. So I did and got a relative to give me a ride to Pahrump where I bought a nice used car with only 48k miles. Unfortunately, the title seems to have gotten lost in the mail. So I have to fix that somehow.
satire idea: Scientists Redefine Absolute Zero as The Number of People Watching CNN
Burns happen, a 575V arc is maybe deadly, but definitely a burn, take care!
/Last Week, ouch
I’ve gotten burned by welding flash before. It ain’t fun. I also did the camping while broke down on the road thing. Diff went out in my ’63 Chevy truck in Coalinga springs, CA. Got towed to a yard in the middle of the central valley and waited a day/night until a used one was delivered and then used the guy’s tow truck as a lift to install it in his dirt driveway. Ah, to be young again!
“Ah, to be young again!” Ya, fuck that, I’ll throw money at it, and you know I play disc all 0over, so i still travel,
Blondie! what a Hottie!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU&list=RDH78yhjo4m7U&index=4
Blocked in Country for some reason but yes, Debbie was fine.
Wow. Mr. Krugman has really gone off the deep end.
Did you stop to consider, maybe She is right and you are just fucked up in the head?
Cheers!
https://archive.li/3HL3N/08980e78b79ac205602a156d8a1c5c57c2475814.jpg
NSFW.
https://archive.li/ADJx0/ed559ec494ef6a9eff492a1a6f311a821831170c.jpg
NSFW.
https://archive.li/HL7l8/2bcce61aeedc511c71e7e940db373979e4e94c38.jpg
NSFW.
https://archive.li/RT0oI/fca6664d234f79ffbef80a0ddb50cc5dc5d4b417.jpg
NSFW.
Yeah, plain but totally hot,
Needs Moar Ass
Wowza!
other satire ideas
Space Force Gear Given to Marines Just to See What Happens
Russia Offers Advice on Preserving Biden in See-Through Coffin
Indiana To Be Renamed Nativeamericana
Scientists Propose Building Wind Turbine In Front of Joy Behar
Dual turbines, fore and aft.
I got one for you.
Lack of recognition as essential workers lead Grocery Union to strike, fired, and replaced by Nicaraguan migrant workers.
Ahahahahahahahahaha
“Space Force Gear Given to Marines Just to See What Happens”
Marines establish Sex slave Colony, become mercs and coquer known space,
there you go.,
If the feds can just print all the money they want with no consequences, why the fucking obsession with raising taxes? I mean, it’s free money so you don’t need to tax that billionaire for going to space unless it’s just about envy.
Asked and answered.
On the more racist sites that is referred to as “Gibs me dat!”
It’s to keep the normies thinking that there is actually some sort of system to government money.
Krugman needs a good woman to fuck the stupid away.
You up WM?
How are you all tonight?
Jesus Fucking Christ, what is wrong with you? I require payment—upfront—in full.
No one suggested a freebie.
I’ve raised money for much lamer endeavors.
Sure, but nobody asked YOU to play with Krugman’s dick.
I don’t think I even suggested that.
Just sayin’.
Touchè
I love this place.
And you.
Yep. That’s the ticket!
Krugman will gladly pay you in next tuesday’s dollars for a fuck today.
Hanging in and Happy Tundra, I resigned my position t Gourmet mushrooms, at least temporarily, and felling good about some new prospects,
Good luck to you, Yusef!
I have the Glibs, I’ll be fine,
Cheers!
Jesus Fucking Christ, what is wrong with you? I require payment—upfront—in full.
Krugabe will gladly pay you Tuesday, with somebody else’s money.
Something something great minds.
Imma play a game. How many beers can I consume after IRL convo with Yusef?
5? Miss you on zoom buddy
On Sunday I will grab the bull by the horns and finally dispose of the three coffee cups that have been sitting in the sink at one of my sites for months. I’ve been cleaning around them since March. It’s been a passive-aggressive battle. I don’t wash your dishes, bitches! Then I will feel like a big, strong man again.
I just cornered a creepy-crawly in a tumbler and tossed it out my kitchen window. I’m a man.
Hope this ditty was playing in your head https://youtu.be/4_gFF-z9OS8
Not familiar with that. See the above Berlin link for the song that was actually running through my head. (Do remember that I am a child of the 80’s.)
Not this 80s song?
It would be a shame if some of it spilled on the carpet/desk/chair/something nearby.
So….I just completed my first interior wall to wall/ceiling to baseshoe job for New Boss basically by myself from start to finish on a shoe-string budget.
First reaction to my new yet totally unexpected role as “My only consistent and reliable employee while I filter out the Craigslist scum so hopelessly incompetent and irresponsible that they ran out of “Free Shit” money and were forced to actually pretend to work:
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/723/336/6c6.gif
Good for you and good luck! I’ve done so many contracts solo my dink is but a nub.
Thanks, man It’s just that I wasn’t expecting nor told I was basically the “Main Guy” who had to manage a small crew of continuously rotating people who lied about their job experience to get a job because they were junkies who burnt through their free cash. I’ve fired a few people over the last two weeks due to sheer incompetence and I don’t care for it.
I like to be given a task and being trusted to complete it with little to no oversight…I hate managing others. I have no intrinsic desire to be controlled or control anyone else.
You’ll never get a job as a pundit with that attitude.
*skims pre-approved talking points memo*
Obey for the for the collective good!!!
*reads next talking points memo*
Resist for the collective good!!!
*strokes chin* This guy has talent. Sign him up.
I like to be given a task and being trusted to complete it with little to no oversight…I hate managing others.
My twin!
Does anyone really believe this?
No idea. I’m guessing a sizable portion of society does thougb
Would you rather believe the above or that our government is run by petty, narcissistic morons?
I guess. So weird though. Hubs and I went to a local club tonight to see a band, small venue, maybe 50 people.
One younger lady, maybe 30 yrs +/~ 5 was wearing a mask.
Outside.
WTF?
I am forced to conclude that we are surrounded by a combination of power-tripping jackals, Karen-like bureaucrats who love to control their neighbors, and absolute sheep.
The sheep are sufficiently bored with the luxury of living well that they snatch on to Covid, global warming, ozone holes, etc. They’ve become knee-jerk pessimistic.
I firmly believe that’s why the birth rate of “advanced” societies has plummeted. Cultures that have lost hope, lost meaning in living, lost religion, don’t tend to want to bring people into the world.
Question is, how do we reach people?
But as Martin Luther said, “even if I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant a tree.”
As we should act. I’m an optimist. There is hope and good out there, it is just hiding.
Or I’ve been drinking and just think everything is a-okay.
Everything is fine… we’re all fine here. How are you?
One of the reasons I like to go to North Idaho. The backwards, hillbilly repuglitards never seemed to really get into the mask frenzy.
The sad part is seeing people younger than 25 really buying into the masks.
Not sure if they can be reached until the easy times are over, similar to an addict.
Yes. It’s bad economic policy but people definitely believe it.
There are plenty who want to.
I’m guessing a sizable portion of society isn’t capable of even parsing that sentence.
Sometimes our “elites” get educated beyond the capacity to undertake rational thought.
My sister has a Masters from MIT and her husband has a PHD from MIT. Both were for Warren. He would complain about the mistakes the managers at Schlumberger made but seemed think the liberal government functionaries could run everyone’s lives.
Funnily, both my brother and sis-in-law educated by Harvard are all for Warren
They believe smart people like them will be in charge. They never read Hayek and don’t know their own limitations.
Hear hear!
Sometimes, eh?
You’re too generous by half. 😉
Dammit! For Obe(Yeah You Know Me!)
Just figured you were channeling Brooks
Nah, just drinking. I’d love to blame it on WordPress but…
*tips another*
Tips another myself….I get it
Cheers!
They finally posted something worth watching.
https://dailycaller.com/2021/07/22/hardcore-porn-huffington-post-washington-post-new-york-magazine/
suh’ fam
yo whats goody
Another lovely morning out here at Tranquility Base. Deliberately went to bed a little earlier than usual so I’d wake up in time to get maximum back porch time before it gets too bleedin’ hot to hang out here. Farmers’ market is the only thing on the agenda today, and that won’t open until 10. Indolence & sloth FTW!
Oh – I’ll probably give myself a manicure with some of the new nail polish “strips” I just bought, but you guys don’t care about that crap.
Holy Shit! Hell with the ‘delta variant” it’s the Monkeypox !
Monkeypox: Ohioans may have been exposed to ‘potentially serious’ virus on recent flights
Just one more reason to keep up my perfect record of not flying commercial for… ::does math on fingers::…38 years. As if I needed another one.
It’s Saturday and I’ve been awake since 06:30 – wife left early to go meet friends for a hike & dog needed her walk.
This is some bullshit – I don’t know you people do it. I sense a nap in my future.
Saturday naps are the best! I don’t let myself nap on Sunday for fear I won’t sleep well Sunday night, but on Saturday it’s fair game. It’s the one time we let the cats in the bedroom while we’re sleeping.
Man in Japan almost dies after excessive masturbation
Damn your quick fingers.
They never read Hayek and don’t know their own limitations.
Dirty Hayek, Economic Enforcer.
If the evidence of their own experience hasn’t convinced them already reading Hayek won’t help.
Mornin
Good morning, Sean… and Stinky and Brooksie and Chippy and Slummy and, of course, muh homey! ::quick hug for homey::
I have been remiss in my morning greetings. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. ::hangs head in shame::
?
reading Hayek won’t help.
I went to Harvard. What does that guy know about anything?