Paul Krugman Continues Hunting For Paranoids

Paul Krugman was apparently stung by David Brooks' two columns noting that the Democrats are the heirs to the Paranoid Style in American politics - he has picked up that theme before with the goal of removing the paranoid tail from the Democratic Donkey and pinning it on the Republican Pachyderm. 

The results are comical.  Here is a snippet from his latest:

As a result, political paranoia — the “sense of heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy” Hofstadter described — has gone mainstream. To read Hofstadter’s essay today is to be struck by the extent to which he seems to be describing the state of mind not of a lunatic fringe, but of key figures in our political and media establishment.

The “paranoid spokesman,” wrote Hofstadter, sees things “in apocalyptic terms. ... He is always manning the barricades of civilization.” Sure enough, Dick Cheney says that “the war on terror is a battle for the future of civilization.”

Apocalypse now!  Here is the always calm Paul Krugman on Cheney's energy plan and Osama bin Ladin:

But because the administration continues to listen only to the usual suspects [on global warming], that window of opportunity is closing fast. And bear this in mind: Whatever he imagines, Osama bin Laden can't destroy Western civilization. Carbon dioxide can.

Comments

[Birkel]

You seem to fail to grasp Krugman's dizzying intellect. You see, Cheney is paranoid because Krugman thinks he's wrong. And Krugman isn't paranoid because he believes himself right.

See?

The annointed don't have to own mirrors. No deep looks into their own souls are necessary. They're too busy being "right".

[RichatUF]

...the usual suspects [on global warming], that window of opportunity is closing fast. And bear this in mind: Whatever he imagines, Osama bin Laden can't destroy Western civilization. Carbon dioxide can.

OBL can't "destroy" Western civilization but Paul Krugman can. Not so much the "Paranoid Style", more like "Misanthropy and Political Ideology" and see here

eco-kooks the dead enders of the socialist utopia...

RichatUF

[SaveFarris]

It's been a LOOOONG time since Paul Krugman wrote something that the blogosphere paid attention to. That being the case, I nominate the inventor of TimesSelect for the Nobel Prize.

[JM Hanes]

It's like shooting ducks in barrel, isn't it?

[clarice]

Exactamento. And may I be so bold to suggest that if Krugman is searching for paranoids, NYC is the perfect place to do so.

[Tom Maguire]

Filed under "even paranoids try to have a sense of humor about their affliction":

KRUGMAN: What it is peculiar is that, when I arranged my column with the New York Times in Fall 1999, I actually thought I would provide good-tempered comments on the specifics of the New Economy. Instead of that, I find myself once again the lonely voice of truth in an ocean of corruption. I sometimes think that I will end up one day in one of those cages in Guantanamo Bay [laughter]. But then I can always seek asylum in Germany. I hope you'll take me in case of emergency.

[Forbes]

Yes, Paul Krugman: the lonely voice of truth in an ocean of corruption!

Attribute to your political opponents not just a differnce of policy choices, but policies that can only be arrived at by nefarious motivations and outright criminality.

How arrogant and self-absorbed does Krugman have to be to make such statement?

Seems to me he's a walking and talking example of Hofstadter's paranoia.

What's the psychological term--projection?

[Neo]

slightly off topic but Maguire, not TM, is free ..

On Tuesday, Joe Maguire, one of two editors in charge of markets coverage at Reuters, handed his bosses the galleys of his new book, “Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter.” On Wednesday, Mr. Maguire discovered he would have plenty of free time to promote his book, which comes out this week.

First, Reuters has to attempt to have the appearance of objectivity, and I know that's an uphill effort, even without this book.

Second, only a fool tries to debate Coulter, not because she is always right or wrong, but because it only shows that you have too much time on your hands.

[BTW]

10/9/06 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic candidates have a big edge on Republicans one month before elections to decide control of Congress, a flurry of new polls said on Monday, with ratings for President George W. Bush and Congress dropping after the Capitol Hill sex scandal.

A USA Today/Gallup poll gave Democrats a 23-point edge on Republicans in the battle for Congress, while a CNN poll gave Democrats a 21-point lead.

A ABC News/Washington Post poll found Democrats held a 54-41 percent lead in the congressional horse race among registered and likely voters, which ABC said was the biggest Democratic lead this close to election day in more than 20 years.

[BTW]

Small Pox
Code Orange
Anthrax
Iraq WMD
Avian Flu
Code Yellow
Iran
Spinach
North Korean

Any questions?

[topsecretk9]

"KILLED THE REAL BIRD" [Byron York] On the edition of his program taped in Washington, Bill Maher interviewed John Kerry. In the chit-chat at the beginning of the interview, Kerry said he and his wife had gone to Vermont for a getaway for her birthday. Maher said they could have gone to New Hampshire and killed two birds with one stone. Kerry's response:

I could have gone to 1600 Pennsylvania and killed the real bird with one stone.

Nice.

Democrats would be peeing their pants if Bush said anything remotely tacky, offensive and craven.

Gee...Kerry, why not do it and get some VOTES!!!!!!

[PeterUK]

"Instead of that, I find myself once again the lonely voice of truth in an ocean of corruption. I sometimes think that I will end up one day in one of those cages in Guantanamo Bay"

Krugman is simply dramatising himself for the edification of his followers,he's got something to sell here,there is no point in him wittering on about "A brain the size of a planet and nobody listens because I'm a boring old fart"Everyone knows that economists are as scintillating as train timetables.No he has to portray himself as some kind of fiscal Che Guevara.
Human Rights Watch wouldn't let him be put in Guantanamo,too cruel to the inmates.

[PeterUK]

Small Pox
Code Orange
Anthrax
Iraq WMD
Avian Flu
Code Yellow
Iran
Spinach
North Korean

Any questions.

Yes is that the menu,I'm not to keen on spinach,the Korean not to well done...oh yes and make that a large pox.

[Neo]

PeterUK: maybe it's North Korean dog, tasty I hear.

[narciso]

No, we'd ship him over to Bagram, and Constantinescu AFB in Romania. Just
kidding, Paul, I guess this is a bad
time, to bring Benjamin Barber's musings
on an American "Eichmann" at a conference
on Hannah Arendt. (overbroad, I think) On
Mssr. Kerry, first is this not what his
Dewey Canyon 3 and Winter Soldier "witness" turned would be assassin, Scott Camil, counseled at a famous VVAW meeting in Kansas City, which the future senator
missed out on. Such a candidate for
American Gracchi, should really watch his language.

[BTW]

"Yes is that the menu,I'm not to keen on spinach,the Korean not to well done...oh yes and make that a large pox."

Would you like lies with that?

[J. Peden]

"... Osama bin Laden can't destroy Western civilization. Carbon dioxide can."

It is written. Osama grieves.

Still, it's really all up to CO2 now to prove Krugman right, for once. But even mighty water vapor had it's chance to destroy Capitalism and has failed.

And the Kyoto Protocols themselves are still very strong competition in the overall race to destroy Western civilization. It might not even be a close call.

[BTW]

And music? I know an extraordinary rendition of I Only Have Lies For You.

[PeterUK]

Thank you BTW,we know you lie,you don't need to keep telling us.

[Clyde]

If carbon dioxide emissions are the real threat to civilization, then obviously some people are going to need to stop exhaling. For the good of civilization. For The Children. And all that.

You first, Paul.

[BTW]

Clyde

Are you an idiot? Seriously.

[J. Peden]

Clyde has a good point:if we would all just commit suicide, we could eliminate an amount of human CO2 contribution from respiration, to the atmosphere, equivalent to about 9% of the CO2 resulting from our infernal yearly fossil fuel burning we also do so heedlessly, along with breathing.

If we kill off the rest of the animals - including the fish, too, who knows how much more good we can do "for the Planet".

So Western Civilization might just have to go away, along with all flesh, if Gaia is to be appeased.

But, excluding water, since CO2 is the major nutrient for all photosynthetic plant growth and structure, decreasing CO2 supply will cause a certain amount of the Plant Kingdom to not exist. Not burning fossil fuel will, by now, only have a worse result.

Damn the Plants, too.

[fsadgskl]

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