By Paul Krugman, NY Times Op-Ed
As the debate over President Obama's economic stimulus plan gets under way, one thing is certain: many of the plan's opponents aren't arguing in good faith. Conservatives really, really don't want to see a second New Deal, and they certainly don't want to see government activism vindicated. So they are reaching for any stick they can find with which to beat proposals for increased government spending.
Some of these arguments are obvious cheap shots. John Boehner, the House minority leader, has already made headlines with one such shot: looking at an $825 billion plan to rebuild infrastructure, sustain essential services and more, he derided a minor provision that would expand Medicaid family-planning services - and called it a plan to "spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives."
But the obvious cheap shots don't pose as much danger to the Obama administration's efforts to get a plan through as arguments and assertions that are equally fraudulent but can seem superficially plausible to those who don't know their way around economic concepts and numbers. So as a public service, let me try to debunk some of the major antistimulus arguments that have already surfaced. Any time you hear someone reciting one of these arguments, write him or her off as a dishonest flack.
If you want to read more of the article, here is a link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/opinion/26krugman.html?_r=1
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Comments: 40
Basically, conservatives are throwing any objection they can think of against the Obama plan, hoping that something will stick.
But here’s the thing: Most Americans aren’t listening. The most encouraging thing I’ve heard lately is Mr. Obama’s reported response to Republican objections to a spending-oriented economic plan: “I won.” Indeed he did — and he should disregard the huffing and puffing of those who lost.
As to the pork that is attached. Some of them should be stand alone bills. Good ideas but not a stimulus related expence. It is a Stimulus Bill not an appropiations bill. I have notice a few that are just a plain old waste of money. The Senate needs to kick out any measure, pork or not, that does not answer the question, "How is this going to stimulate the economy?"
But, then most voters are so "dumbed down" by Fox Noise, they view Obama or any of his ideas as "Socialism". Yeah...Let's get rid of a few more "Socialist" programs like police and fire services, or emergency medical services! People just don't THINK! They are spoon fed hateful pablum and then just regurgitate it ad nauseum!
Carla, Bernacki says none of the stimulus should go to individuals, it should all go to the financial sector to "stabilize" it. I want to ask him, "what's the matter, did some of them run out of funds before they got all the bonuses paid?"
Then there's Guilani, who claims no Wall Street bonuses means loss of NYC jobs.... huh? He went on to explain how city budgets were always planned on the level of bonuses given on Wall Street because that was the indicator. All these people need to realize that this is a new ball game. We've NEVER seen this level of disaster in all sectors of US living, commerce, and financial, housing and health care, not to mention the world wide problems we've created as the "world's leader." How it used to work doesn't hold much water these days. It was greed that lead us to it, so the loss of greed should undo it. But we can see that we will have to pass tough laws to extract the greed from these ugly jerks who are bent on MORE from the treasury. They are those who would use it all: money, oil, energy and human souls. By then, they figure they'll be dead and they don't care what happens to this country. We wll defeat them because we must. And we can.
Know it all, die hard Republicrats make me laugh. And no, that's not a hybrid of Republican and Democrat, it refers to plutocrats. If you need a definition, it's where the wealthy rule the government as they did during all modern Republican terms but mostly during the Bushies rule.
But as Krugman said, Obama won. The have nots have spoken and the reign of terror is over. We will fix this country in spite of you and in the next century when the Republican's weasel their way back into power, we will have monuments all over this country to the hard work of the "real" citizens. Bridges, clean energy plants, mass transit systems, factories, blue and white and green collar jobs for all.
Then you can start deconstructing all over again. What a warped system.
Col. George W
Col.! You should see what I could do with $13 a week extra. I was poor during the Reagan years and had 2 kids to feed.
Back in the 80's when my family had a Medicaid card, birth control pills were covered. Abortion services were not.
Good thing that they aren't have nots anymore. They now have the most precious gift of all. Hope. LOL!
You mean to tell me that the Nobel Prize committee nominated a liberal? Now way!
They are the party of ignorance. They like listening to ignrants because they can relate to what they say.
The nobel foundation board members are not nominated, Sir.
What bugs me about the Republicans is their refusal to even sit down and talk about this. They want their tax cuts reinstated and won't compromise. It's politics as usual.
Here's Obama's Saturday morning E-speech. There will be one every single Saturday morning. Explore the site, and have some economic, research fun.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/moving_forward/
Wilka
Obama's plan may not be perfect but it will not do anywhere near the harm that Bush cronyism did.
The economy will not recover until their are jobs to make an economy. Obama is just giving a little boost but until America brings back the living wage jobs and stops supporting communism we are not going to recover.
It took more than 40 years to recover from the last GOP depression and its going to take even longer this time because the experts are only experts in title only.
Are Repub lawmakers in lockstep with the oxycotin addict?
Better to spend hundreds of billions on unwanted children.
The Repubs woudln't have voted for that bill even if it had been EXACTLY what they wanted. They want Obama to fail, so they snub their noses and say, Told ya so.
Good thing that they aren't have nots anymore. They now have the most precious gift of all. Hope. LOL!"
Jeff, I know you meant this as a joke, but it might just be the most valuable gift, after all, considering the hopelessness of things under Bush. There is no substitute for public confidence in any economic recovery.
"Partisan political hack" would be another good one; but I think "charlatan fraud" suits him best.