Paul Krugman is railing about Republican fiscal hypocrisy again (and the sun rose in the East this morning). However, my eye is drawn to this:
Oh, and for those claiming that Republicans have always said that spending, not deficits is what matters: first of all, this is very much revisionist history; you can’t denounce the federal debt, then claim that you never cared about the revenue side of things. Beyond that, the deficit scare tactics lately have been all about solvency, not mere crowding out; repent, they said, or you’ll turn into Greeeeeece. That’s a scare story about solvency, for which the deficit, not spending, is what matters.
Troubling. On the one hand, I would love to think that this earlier post by Yours Truly, noting Krugman's mischaracterization of an established school of economic thought as "new", "magical" and "Voodoo", struck home.
On the other hand, I didn't attempt to assay the current state of Republican rhetoric other than in an update noting that some of them emphasize a spending problem rather than a revenue problem. I have no doubt that there are other Republicans going on about Greece (sort of the way a noted liberal economist was "terrified" about the Bush deficit during a weak economy in 2003), but that has nothing to do with the fact that Krugman apparently would prefer to write the rational expectations pushback against the Keynsian macroeconomic models out of the history books.
IF I HAD MORE QUALITY TIME WITH 'BING': Boy, does this look wrong:
Beyond that, the deficit scare tactics lately have been all about solvency, not mere crowding out...
"All" the rhetoric has been about solvency? No conservatives anywhere have been bemoaning the growth of the entitlement state under Obama and calling for smaller government? I suspect that would be easily refudiated.
And from a different direction, how it it that "all" these people are worried exclusively about solvency yet none support higher taxes? The alternative view - that as Ricardians rather than Keynesians they are worried about the level of government spending, not the method by which it is financed - seems to predict their policy choices, if not always their rhetoric, quite well.
Wasn't it under a Republican Congress, in Clinton's second term, where SURPLUSES were realized?
Now that development was certainly driven by the bubble growth at the end of the 90's but it was also facilitated by RELATIVE spending restraint by Congress. The solution is in restraining spending.....in a fully transparent and responsible manner (no gimmicks). That will signal to investors, business and the world that the US is "sober" again and responsible with capital. Growth will ensue as confidence that the Obama administration will be incapable of further damage.
Clinton's "virtue" was that he, basically, did nothing with respect to major spending initiatives during his administration. They didn't play games with liberal regulatory schemes much either. Growing economy, restrained budget growth......economic solvency.
Not a difficult formula.....unless you're a politician or a Nobel prize winning economist.
Posted by: jag | January 05, 2011 at 05:14 PM
Someone should explain to Krugman that one can criticize the deficit or the debt because it's the consequence of excessive spending, not because it's intrinsically bad. I doubt there were many critics of the debt buildup from W.W. II spending (unless they were critics of the war).
Posted by: jimmyk | January 05, 2011 at 05:34 PM
I am so tired of Krugman.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | January 05, 2011 at 05:50 PM
"Growth will ensue as confidence that the Obama administration will be incapable of further damage."
jag,
I disagree. Growth isn't going anywhere until the commie is gone from the Oval Office. His commissars are doing as much economic damage on the regulatory side as Pelosi/Reid did on the legislative side. A 'rational expectations' viewpoint weighs regulatory burden and taxes as being roughly equivalent in terms of removal of capital from productive use. In fact, regulatory uncertainty may well result in a higher level of capital transfer than a slight increase in taxes.
I propose imprisoning Salazar, Chu, Jackson and Napolitano for the remainder of the President's maladministration as a test of my hypothesis. Who's with me?
Posted by: Rick Ballard | January 05, 2011 at 05:51 PM
I hate to play the grammar Nazi, but ...
You can refute and you can repudiate, but you don't refudiate.
Posted by: Tully | January 05, 2011 at 06:08 PM
LONG COMMENT--SORRY: It's funny watching both sides on this, krugman/Dems scraming it's "tax cuts", and Righties screaming it's "spending". The deficit is of course created by both, but the story is far more complicated and scary than that. For decades, Federal tax receipts have been around 18.5% of GDP and spending about 20.5% of GDP. The 1993 Dem tax increases marginally increased total receipts, BUT it was the Repub congress 1995-2000 NOT passing any large spending initiatives and DROPPING federal spending to 18% of GDP that resulted in the 1999-2000 FYs surplus because revenue went up to 20%of GDP. What caused the revenue increase to 20%? Not the 1993 Dem rates. The increased revenue came from skyrocketing personal income, cap gains from the 90's IPO craze AND PAYROLL taxes-- a lot of jobs were created 1996-2000, and 12% of the payroll (up to the then $80,000+ limit) went to the Feds. So Bush was right to call for tax reductions to bring tax revenue down to 18% of GDP. So what happened to cause the Obamaniacs having $1.5 TRILLION deficits for 2 years and Trillion Dollar deficits for several more years? Well spending is now 24% of GDP-- a huge Dem increase in Fed spending. AND, fed tax receipts have fluctuated like never before. Why? the Bush tax cuts? No! The rates are now more progessive than ever since WWII, AND the Feds rely on high earners for a ridiculously high percentage of taxes. High earners by definition have more variable income, and that variability now yo-yos fed tax receipts. Plus the feds rely on payroll taxes for a higher percentage of revenue relative to the 1950s-1970s. So when jobs are lost revenue drops dramatically, and when they are added, revenue compounds. Again this yo-yos federal receipts. So in the 2000-2001 rececession, revenue dropped from 20% to 15% of GDP, and with the Great recesssion, revenue again dropped to 15% of GDP and is now after 3 years slowly growing back up to 18%. Couple that revenue yo-yo with the Obamaniacs increasing spending to 24%, BANG a deficit equal to 10% of GDP. INSANE. The repubs can probably bring spending back down to 21% of GDP with the expiration of "Stimulus" and rolling back discretionary spending to 2008. And revenue should be back up to 18% of GDP as jobs are added. BUT-- BUT-- entitlemnt spending explodes (Soc Sec, Medicare, Medicaid) in the next few years. That spending is on autopilot. Without changes to entitlement law that will bring spending up to 23% in a few years. With taxes at 18%, there is your $800Billion structural deficit. We are in deep fiscal doodoo.
Posted by: NK | January 05, 2011 at 06:09 PM
Would you mind adding Sebelius?
Posted by: Extraneus | January 05, 2011 at 06:09 PM
Meanwhile every person out there who has responsibly tried to balance a household budget knows that if you cannot count on a raise in the near future, you've got to reduce the household spending. No need to get into "deficit" or "solvency," etc. language to understand the basics.
The left is going to be throwing up all kinds of semantical smokescreens to obscure the fact that we can't afford all their "redistribute the wealth", "buy the votes", and general socialist schemes.
Posted by: LouP | January 05, 2011 at 06:14 PM
Who's with me?
I'm in
Posted by: Captain Hate | January 05, 2011 at 06:27 PM
Well they sure are whining about the Constitution.
Posted by: Extraneus | January 05, 2011 at 06:31 PM
That was an oversight on my part, Ex. Sibelius belongs next to Salazar.
NK,
It may actually be somewhat worse than your outline. CBO deficit projections are predicated upon a GDP growth rate which has not been realized and the negative final adjustment to SS HI for Q4 was not only the worst in history, it also marked a substantially higher loss of wage, salary and self-employed income in '10 than in '09. The December YoY drop in contributions was a rather spectacular -8.25%. That's something to keep in mind no matter what is reported Friday regarding employment numbers.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | January 05, 2011 at 06:38 PM
speaking of retreads, my latest is now up on California's Political Recycling Policy. LUN.
Posted by: matt | January 05, 2011 at 07:06 PM
Gully--"refudiate" is a Sarah Palin coinage that people have been having some fun with for a while now.
Posted by: Danube of Thought | January 05, 2011 at 07:11 PM
*Tully* (sorry)
Posted by: Danube of Thought | January 05, 2011 at 07:12 PM
I'm in but suggest prison is too kind.
Posted by: Old Lurker | January 05, 2011 at 07:25 PM
With that much needed addition, I'm in, too, Rick.
Posted by: clarice | January 05, 2011 at 07:31 PM
Kinda like strategery, Gully.
Posted by: Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet | January 05, 2011 at 07:32 PM
jag-The solution is in restraining spending.....in a fully transparent and responsible manner
no gimmicks).
NK-The deficit is of course created by both
I wish we could break from the CW.
Public debt increased every year of the Clinton administration, so I'd have to guess there were no budget surpluses.
Each time tax rates have been cut (Kennedy, Reagan & G W Bush) in modern times, tax revenues have increased. This makes it hard to say tax cuts cause, or contribute to deficits.
The progs frame the discussion and we don't call them on it, time after time. When they bring up Clinton surpluses, send them to the Bureau for the Public Debt and ask them to show you which years were surplus. When the progs say tax cuts cause deficits, show them revenue before and after the cuts. They've gotten away with these two myths for too long. Put their feet in the fire.
Posted by: larry | January 05, 2011 at 07:34 PM
I am so tired of Krugman.
And the entire commentariat and all the credentialed morons we're told we should listen to.
Posted by: Rob Crawford | January 05, 2011 at 07:34 PM
"I'm in but suggest prison is too kind."
Perhaps. I was thinking of Île du Diable and shark races but that might be a little soft.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | January 05, 2011 at 07:44 PM
Sharks have standards, Rick.
You are dead on to call attention to the very real damage done through the Federal Register 24/7.
Posted by: Old Lurker | January 05, 2011 at 07:50 PM
NK: nice rant. It makes sense to talk about the trajectories revenue and spending separately because they are not closely articulated, and because there are different drivers. It also explains how most other countries whose debt is skyrocketing are in the same boat as the U.S. despite different policies, tax regimes, political orientations.
TM: "The alternative view - that as Ricardians rather than Keynesians they are worried about the level of government spending, not the method by which it is financed "
Just to be clear, as far as Ricardian equivalence goes, presumably an economy that goes from $110 in both revenue and spending to $110 in spending $100 in revenue is equivalent to one that goes from $100 in revenue and $100 in spending to $100 in revenue and $110 in spending. Both represent situations where the excess of spending over revenue will have to be paid for.
Krugman's claim is that someone who is opposed to deficits would presumably be indifferent between the two cases. That's certainly not my experience with today's political reality ...
Posted by: Robert Bell | January 05, 2011 at 07:52 PM
I'm in. Especially if there's some light buggery.
Posted by: lyle | January 05, 2011 at 07:59 PM
I'm in. Can the key be thrown away?!
Posted by: cindyk | January 05, 2011 at 08:00 PM
I was told that there wouldn't be any buggery. If there's going to be buggery, I'm requesting that we also add Mark Lloyd from the FCC.
Posted by: Extraneus | January 05, 2011 at 08:06 PM
Bugger all of 'em.
None of this is going to amount to anything unless and until they address entitlements, about which I haven't heard a peep.
Posted by: Danube of Thought | January 05, 2011 at 08:11 PM
Annals of Aggressive Irrationality
Wall Street Journal Opinion page edition
Daniel Henninger barfs:
``The Pope's agenda is individual freedom.''
Though I suppose if you really believe Christ and/or God and/or the "Holy Spirit" speaks directly through the Pope, you'll believe just about anything.
Posted by: bunkerbuster | January 05, 2011 at 08:12 PM
Forget the buggery. Plant their butts at Alcatraz (in its current condition) and make em watch PC children's programming 24/7 and eat from Michelle's garden. I recommend overdoses of the big purple dinosaur to start. If their IQs increase, they can graduate to Gitmo and Sesame Street.
Posted by: Stephanie | January 05, 2011 at 08:16 PM
None of this is going to amount to anything unless and until they address entitlements, about which I haven't heard a peep.
True, but I like to think that it's a process that must be done in stages. It's not going to be easy to get the public's head around even the small stuff.
Posted by: Porchlight | January 05, 2011 at 08:21 PM
Don't misunderestimate the ability of humans to invent new and useful words.
===========
Posted by: 'Refudiate' finds a fine niche. | January 05, 2011 at 08:22 PM
Please, bb, don't go on about ancient myths, OK?
===========
Posted by: Here she comes, Myth America. | January 05, 2011 at 08:23 PM
Rick, add John Holdren to the pen.
=============
Posted by: Head 'em up, move 'em out. | January 05, 2011 at 08:27 PM
Ding dong the witch is dead! And there is a new Sheriff in town! Its a day to rejoice, and perhaps Lindsay Graham will have the grace to stay out of the news for the rest of the week and not screw up the mellow...
Posted by: Gmax | January 05, 2011 at 08:35 PM
Oh I am definitely in. Need you even ask?
Posted by: Jane the hostage taker | January 05, 2011 at 08:42 PM
I mention the Pope, and everyone wants to talk about buggery... Imagine that.
Posted by: bunkerbuster | January 05, 2011 at 09:18 PM
'One can't go into lion taming easily, one has start small, as with banking' (although
there's more similarity with wild prey then
that Monty Python sketch first intended.
Posted by: narciso | January 05, 2011 at 09:33 PM
I propose imprisoning Salazar, Chu, Jackson and Napolitano for the remainder of the President's maladministration as a test of my hypothesis. Who's with me?
Count me in too. Your point about regulation is spot on. They should be required to put a dollar amount on these regulations as if the government had to pay instead of forcing private citizens to pay for it. SarBox and the ADA alone would probably run in the hundreds of $billions.
Posted by: jimmyk | January 05, 2011 at 09:36 PM
The HMO bill was supposed to be a fix, it just made the problem worse, maybe that was
the intent. SarBox only changed the nature of
the fraud, apparently, not the substance,
Posted by: narciso | January 05, 2011 at 09:58 PM
I'm very tired and heading to bed. I am thinking of writing about the second British scientific scandal in months--this time the news that the Dr who claimed to have found a link between autism and vaccinations, a claim that has prompted many parents to forego getting their children vaccinated simply and deliberately falsified his tests.
I welcome your thoughts. Personally, I think we shouldn't be shocked to learn that money and power and prestige corrupt , even people we expect more from.
Posted by: clarice | January 05, 2011 at 10:01 PM
--I mention the Pope, and everyone wants to talk about buggery... Imagine that.--
We should talk about your bigotry instead?
Posted by: Ignatz | January 05, 2011 at 10:14 PM
Clarice - Since you asked, here's my post on the Andrew Wakefield scandal.
(My apologies for going off topic.)
Thanks much to Tom for pointing out these little inconsistencies from the Nobel-prize-winning economist.
There's more and more evidence for my theory that Krugman's columns are written by a grad student who is intent on destroying Krugman's reputation. (Yes, I'm joking, but I wonder a little more every year whether I should take my joke seriously.)
Posted by: Jim Miller | January 05, 2011 at 10:15 PM
I believe it was the fat guy from the British "Cracker" who said, "Bugger the Pope."
I loved that show, but I can't remember the character's name.
Posted by: Ralph L | January 05, 2011 at 10:19 PM
I welcome your thoughts.
Along those lines, my thoughts are that even as we speak there are scores of applications for grants being prepared right now, proposing to explore the connection, "if any," between Global Warming and the birds dropping out of the sky and the dead fish showing up in New Zealand, Arkansas and wherever.
Shall we guess how many researchers will conclude that there is no causation?
Posted by: Danube of Thought | January 05, 2011 at 10:24 PM
The day wouldn't be complete without Howard
'Yeargh' Dean, in the LUN
Posted by: narciso | January 05, 2011 at 10:29 PM
Here is the CNN link from Instapundit on the autism story.
from the article - "...Wakefield "chiseled" the data before him, "falsifying medical histories of children and essentially concocting a picture, which was the picture he was contracted to find by lawyers hoping to sue vaccine manufacturers and to create a vaccine scare."
I wonder if Hollywood will make a movie about this? Evil "Big Litigation" starring Meryl Streep or Cher or Sally Field.
Posted by: Janet | January 05, 2011 at 10:38 PM
Maybe John Edwards could make his acting debut...
Posted by: Janet | January 05, 2011 at 10:42 PM
Birds and fish falling out of the sky in Kentucky and elsewhere? Hmmm..
Wasn't there a tornado in the midwest shortly before the phenomena began there? I'd look for similar causes in Australia and elsewhere, too. This is a very common phenomenon when tornadoes and waterspouts touch down.
Cow.
Another Cow.
I believe that was the same Cow.
Posted by: Stephanie | January 05, 2011 at 10:44 PM
They could call it "The Two Americas".
Posted by: Threadkiller | January 05, 2011 at 10:44 PM
Though I suppose if you really believe Christ and/or God and/or the "Holy Spirit" speaks directly through the Pope, you'll believe just about anything.
What should we suppose Mr. B.H. Obama, who prays to Jesus every day, believes are the lines of communication? Perhaps he needs no intermediary? Would he place quotation marks around Holy Spirit?
I mention the Pope, and everyone wants to talk about buggery... Imagine that.
Far be it from me to make you appear foolish, but if you'll check upthread you'll see the topic was under discussion well before you showed up.
Posted by: Danube of Thought | January 05, 2011 at 10:45 PM
I found JMH.
She's at Barone's place making the same astute observations as always.
Posted by: Melinda Romanoff | January 05, 2011 at 10:45 PM
I wonder if Hollywood will make a movie about this? Evil "Big Litigation" starring Meryl Streep or Cher or Sally Field
I'd like to see them do a sequel to "Erin Brockovich," in which we learn that the entire lawsuit was false and fraudulent from the beginning.
Posted by: Danube of Thought | January 05, 2011 at 10:48 PM
--I'd like to see them do a sequel to "Erin Brockovich," in which we learn that the entire lawsuit was false and fraudulent from the beginning.--
I'd like to see a real sequel in court where we poor PG&E rate payers get compensated our $300 million tossed down the drain.
Posted by: Ignatz | January 05, 2011 at 10:52 PM
DoT,
Here's a chance to edit your Narcisolator script.
______________________
Re Krugman - his real problem is that pseudo-Keynesian statist interference is failing on a world wide basis. There is not a damned thing that he nor the Commiecrats or EUrocommies can suggest that reality won't reveal as being totally illusory within a very short time.
I really wish that the next six months were not going to be so very interesting.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | January 05, 2011 at 10:56 PM
Ignatz: Lampooning your sacred cows doesn't equal bigotry. But it does give you the opportunity to show how easily you through around the accusation and how dishonest and/or ignorant you are about what it means.
Posted by: bunkerbuster | January 05, 2011 at 11:37 PM
"through" ?
Posted by: glasater | January 05, 2011 at 11:47 PM
that is funny, glas. meant throw, of course...
Posted by: bunkerbuster | January 05, 2011 at 11:51 PM
It's not even a homonym mistake but using that howler in a sentence accusing somebody of ignorance is pretty funny.
Posted by: Captain Hate | January 05, 2011 at 11:53 PM
Wahoo! Blue Shield of CA is announcing huge premium increases in its individual policies, which is certain to trigger a fresh round of highly entertaining economic baby-talk.
Posted by: Danube of Thought | January 05, 2011 at 11:56 PM
It's the Spencer Ackerman problem, recall his
mild response to an opposing columnist.
Posted by: narciso | January 06, 2011 at 12:00 AM
I've had enough fun. Narcisolator recalibrated.
Posted by: Danube of Thought | January 06, 2011 at 12:22 AM
Clarice,
I think the idea of writing about the Brit Science Autism/Vaccination scam is a great idea. Please do that story as it needs to be hammered home to the public.
Of interest, my current read focus's a bit on the Thalidomide Baby problem in the late 50's/early 60's. Author lays out a decent case that that was not intentional Scientific malpractice, but a lack of understanding of how the drug would react in human embryo's since the drug was only supposedly tested in Labs on mice. According to the author the mice for some reason have a different physiological reaction than humans unfortunately did to the drug, but the Thalidomide researchers did not know or expect that. An awful episode, but at least, if the author is correct in his write-up, understandable and a cautionary tale for future science.
But from what I'm reading of this ">http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/05/autism.vaccines/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1"> Retracted Autism Study, it was intentional manipulation of scientific data for illegitimate purposes, with serious medical consequences for thousands if not millions across the UK.
Anything that continually reveals and reinforces the underlying scientific dishonesty that is evident in some of these huge Science Studies is invaluable, especially now, when we find ourselves daily assaulted by the concerted power grabs of the Global Warming Lobby, the EPA, the light bulb grinches, the Salazar's, the Sebelius's, and everybody else Rick wants to toss in jail. (I'm with you Rick!)
Please do the story.
Posted by: daddy | January 06, 2011 at 12:47 AM
Ignatz, Please don't narcisolate me. I will try and be good. Honest.
Here is one you will love:
White House Staffers return from Obama Hawaiian vacation! (Double standards...no way.)
h/t JOM's Sara
Hope Drudge has it in the morning.
Posted by: Ann | January 06, 2011 at 12:49 AM
Ann, you're on probation, after that last pic,
just kidding,
Posted by: narciso | January 06, 2011 at 01:01 AM
Good job Ann,
That pic is headlining now at Instapundit.
I'm not for "Hanging Five", I'm for Hanging the whole lot of 'em!
Posted by: daddy | January 06, 2011 at 01:06 AM
the Thalidomide researchers did not know or expect that.
It is a very interesting cautionary tale, daddy. Thalidomide, as far as I know, is the first case where the stereochemistry of a molecule mattered. Many molecules can be oriented like gloves, with a left and a right hand. They are identical in their composition, but their arrangement in three dimensions differs (like gloves).
One stereoisomer of Thalidomide causes no problems, and does what it is supposed to therapeutically. The other one, though, give problems with a human embryo, giving the well-known birth defects. This stereochemical difference was not detected in mice.
This has given rise to a whole field of pharmaceutical chemistry, to get the right stereoisomer for the drug or drug candidate. It is very expensive for both the reaction and the separation steps, but the lesson has been learned.
Lunesta is one example of a drug that pays attention to stereochemistry. The company that makes it, Sepracor, got its start by separating stereoisomers. They leveraged their technology to pharmaceutically-active compounds.
Posted by: DrJ | January 06, 2011 at 01:15 AM
DrJ,
You explained that to me even better than the book did:)
Would that there were more like you educating us. Thanks.
Posted by: daddy | January 06, 2011 at 01:21 AM
LOL, narciso.
If I give warnings, can I post one more picture for cc....please?
WARNING!!!!!
WARNING!!!!!
Close your eyes guys...NOW!!!!
There is a new fashion out that combines the idea of denim jeans with leggings. They are called Jeggings.
Some overpaid stylist for Michelle has introduced her to Michelleggings.
Look at the way the sweater thing is buttoned. Now I know why there were no pictures. (Btw, thanks for the info Another (Barbara). Bet you are happy they are gone!)
daddy, Hope this one makes it next! :)
JMH: Come back. We miss you.
(I think I will send her an email, Melinda, and tell her we cleaned house.)
Posted by: Ann | January 06, 2011 at 01:40 AM
Can't touch this. M(ichelle) C Hammer
Posted by: MayBee | January 06, 2011 at 01:51 AM
Don't forget about those late night commercials for "Pajama Jeans." Ain't it swell that our first lady dresses in "upscale" versions 'as seen on TV?'
I wonder if she wears the boob bib, too.
You know, her stylists could dress her in sh*t and convince her she looks good and her lackeys would back them up. Says alot about her character that she could be so duped - but then she bought Marxism hook, line and sinker, too.
Hans Christian Anderson would have been sooo proud.
Posted by: Stephanie | January 06, 2011 at 02:02 AM
Yowser!!! Ann.
I guess it's true what they say, the whales do visit Hawaii in the wintertime.
And saw another JMH comment somewhere else a couple hours back but can't seem to find it dagnabbit:(
I don't think she knows we had the widescale installation episode of the Narcisolator.
Posted by: daddy | January 06, 2011 at 02:03 AM
Clarice,
Longwinded, but 2 more thoughts related to your hopefully upcoming Pieces.
You guys would know better than I do the consequences of "Silent Spring" on halting DDT and thus once again unleashing Malaria throughout the 3rd World. Have no idea if there was any scientific foundation for that assessment---so I defer to you guys on that.
But 2 years back it really struck me when the BBC broke this story" ">http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8116000/8116692.stm"> Scientists think they have resolved one of the most controversial environmental issues of the past decade: the curious case of the missing frogs' legs.
Instead of all the hoopla' from previous years of it being industrial pollution and acid rain, somebody finally took the time to observe the frogs growing, and finally observed that tiny leg buds on frog tadpoles happened to be the favorite food of DragonFly nymphs, so all the enviro-regulatory jumping thru hoops to save the deformed
frogs was basically due to suppertime. There probably is a decent case to be made for Enviro-pollution consequences, but my guess is this was a case where a certain posited solution became attractively PC, especially to the Enviro-lobby, so nobody did the necessary work of simply observing the tadpoles to get to the truth, and I recall seeing a many hundred page textbook in the Enviro-Science section at Moe's Used Books in Berkeley devoted entirely to the conclusion that Enviro-pollution caused the missing froglegs.
On the other hand, in India when the Brit's came in, they banned the salt industry, and ruthlessly took over the very valuable salt trade to horrific consequence for the Indians. ">http://www.amazon.com/Great-Hedge-India-Barrier-Divided/dp/0786708409/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294296338&sr=8-1"> The Great Hedge of India (A good read). Gandhi's Salt March protest to the sea to illegally create his own salt greatly lit the nations fires to force the Brit's to leave. Anyhow, the Elements book says that Indian salt by itself does not contain Iodine, and the body needs iodine to supplement health. Author says that one of the big problems today in Indian Health is still a reservation on the parts of millions of Indians to use western Iodized Salt, as they view it culturally as a residue or vestige of colonialism.
I throw that in as an example where essentially "The Science is Settled" but folks don't follow it because of cultural prejudices, as opposed to what we constantly witness today, which is "The Science has definitely Not being Settled", but you better climb aboard the PC prejudice bandwagon anyway before we raise your taxes and put you in jail.
Just 2 opposite sides of the coin.
Posted by: daddy | January 06, 2011 at 02:13 AM
BTW, you should be thankful that the pattern camouflages teh 'cottage cheese' on her thighs and butt. I would say thank god we don't have a photo of her in that outfit from the rear, but the pattern might be camouflaging another case of camel toe, too, so I'm not thanking him yet.
She'd fit right in at People of Walmart timestamped about 2 am. Is she wearing bedroom slippers, too?
Why do I want to start singing along with Aretha Franklin? LUN
Posted by: Stephanie | January 06, 2011 at 02:14 AM
Anybody catch Glenn Beck today? He did an entire episode on how the Obama agenda is like Star Wars. Seriously.
The Emperor (Frances Piven and Progs) wants you to get angry and feel your anger and Yoda (conservatives) admonishes that that leads to the dark side. The death star is Obamacare and the tea partiers are the Ewoks that blow up the death star in the end.
If you can find it, I recommend watching. It was amusing in a Fonzie jumps the shark kind of way. I think he really needs an intervention.
Posted by: Stephanie | January 06, 2011 at 02:23 AM
Found it. LUN
Posted by: Stephanie | January 06, 2011 at 02:25 AM
Maybe John Edwards could make his acting debut...
Did you hear that Elizabeth Edwards wrote John out of her will the week before she died?
Posted by: Sara (Pal2Pal) | January 06, 2011 at 02:26 AM
``pseudo-Keynesian statist interference is failing on a world wide basis.''
China's storming ahead as almost 10 percent a year growth has transformed the country into the world's second-biggest economy. The government controls every meaningful lever of economic power and even directly owns key stakes in most major industries.
India and Singapore are also growing gangbusters under heavy state intervention in virtually all major industries.
I'm not suggesting these economies offer models for any other countries, but they do certainly show Rick's assertion to be nothing but shards of simpleton dogma.
Posted by: bunkerbuster | January 06, 2011 at 03:35 AM
Yeah, that's the ticket; heavy state intervention.
==============
Posted by: Why didn't somebody think of that sooner? | January 06, 2011 at 07:27 AM
I'm late to this discussion but please do blog the autism story Clarice.
Because bad science affects how we feel about certain natural phenomena, calling attention to how it is being manipulated also helps bring attention to the corruptions of Climategate.
Or my current investigations into where these new national standards are going. When the only knowledge and content students are to be provided is the bad science that will make them feel aggrieved at an emotional level so they will seek change at the political level, bad science and propaganda as education can change a country in a matter of years.
Posted by: rse | January 06, 2011 at 07:47 AM
Thank you all--I appreciate your suggestions and thoughts.
Posted by: clarice | January 06, 2011 at 08:04 AM
Propaganda....that is the word that needs to be trumpeted. Here is a recent video from Breitbart showing news shows using the exact same language. Rush puts together these type on montages a lot.
We have been manipulated for so long by the MFM. They are the enemy with their leftist propaganda.
I would love an expose on the relationship between non profits/advocacy groups and our news media.
Posted by: Janet | January 06, 2011 at 08:17 AM
Another recent example of scaring the public with limited agenda driven science is the BPA plastic scare...
Here is a junk science post on it. One of Breitbarts "Big" sites did some articles on it too.
Posted by: Janet | January 06, 2011 at 08:28 AM
Good morning. Ye gods, Ann!!!! Giant paisely jeggings? Hair nub? Looks pretty normal for our "busy Mom and fashion icon" FLOTUS, if you ask me.
LOL - MayBee - M. C. Hammer!
Posted by: centralcal | January 06, 2011 at 08:29 AM
Janet: I firmly believe that we will never successfully put a dent in leftism until we cripple their propaganda machine - the MFM.
Yes, there have been ratings drops (good) and some push back - but there needs to be a whole lot more push back.
Posted by: centralcal | January 06, 2011 at 08:32 AM
"that the entire lawsuit was false and fraudulent from the beginning."
There is no telling how many US lawsuits are false and fraudulent from the beginning.Not only do the Democrats use dead voters to win elections, we have dead Robo-signers being used.
Died in 1995, signing affidavits until 2008.
So what stupidity does Congress come up with? A bill to extend the power of the dead robo signer nationwide. A bill passed with 100 % support of all US Senators. In Washington DC, the insanity never stops.
Until we get back to where a signature by a a supposedly trusted affidavit signer means what it says, there is no hope for eliminating fraud in the US legal system.
Posted by: Pagar | January 06, 2011 at 08:41 AM
Janet-
In the early 1950s Congress had the Reece Commission look into the huge foundations and what it found was so damning that the life of a NYC investment banker and Yale grad was threatened if the investigation did not stop.
Norman Dodd on several occasions later described meeting with the Ford Foundation president who did not understand why they were being investigated.
President Gaither told Dodd that "the substance under which we operate is that we shall use our grant making power to so alter life in the United States that we can be comfortably merged with the Soviet Union".
I regularly read the foundations conspiring with each other to push ideas in education that are designed solely to move towards a collectivist mindset.
Prior to the School to Work push, one of the founders of the New Standards movement to push away from knowledge and academics because an aptitude focus is unfair told the Council of State School Officers that the foundations stood ready to fund such initiatives.
Not only are the Gates and Carnegie Foundations funding much of the Common Core national standards movement but many of the senior officials at the DoEd came from Gates.
Carnegie's report on the new science standards that redefine science state that in the future the US will be operating in an international cooperative marketplace.
Every aspect of these new national standards is designed to ensure that students and teachers only have "just enough content knowledge" to be aware enough of certain issues so they can be manipulated.
And every alarm bell that has gone off in the past showing that such outcomes based, affective education has poor academic results has been turned off.
Systematically and with great cunning.
Hence my thesis that the Cold War for a socialist world with an elite in charge never really ended. It just went underground to manipulate first higher ed and now K-12 in the US but also other countries through the way UNESCO and OECD operate.
It's like watching the final assault and no one is paying attention because the states and local school districts desperately want those federal funds that were dangled first in the Stimulus Act and then last year's Edujobs.
Posted by: rse | January 06, 2011 at 09:16 AM
Re junk science, don't forget the whole Alar scare in the late 80s, complete with that scientific expert Meryl Streep testifying before Congress.
Posted by: jimmyk | January 06, 2011 at 09:46 AM
Even the ozone hole business may be natural cycles. What's next, gravity?
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Posted by: Well, yeah. Tell me the cause of gravity. | January 06, 2011 at 09:58 AM
New hypo suggests gravity is a side effect of the relationship between energy information and entropy.
Posted by: boris | January 06, 2011 at 10:08 AM
All I know is it's got to fit in a box with eleven dimensions.
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Posted by: 42 | January 06, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Thanks to outgone Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Dem credibility gap on spending just keeps getting bigger:
But this stuff was even funnier: Yeah, right. Apparently we need to spend several trillion in order to save a trillion . . . and the only thing wrong with cutting $100 billion is that it isn't nearly enough.Posted by: Cecil Turner | January 06, 2011 at 10:15 AM
Ignatius has really 'jumped the carchorodon' in the LUN
Posted by: narciso | January 06, 2011 at 10:31 AM
--Ignatz: Lampooning your sacred cows doesn't equal bigotry. But it does give you the opportunity to show how easily you through around the accusation and how dishonest and/or ignorant you are about what it means.--
I'm not Catholic so the Pope is not my sacred cow nor is he yours I suspect.
So what really occurred was you "lampooned" the Pope, if by lampooned one means defamed, with a scurrilous, and I might add humorless, reference linking him to sexual abuse of children.
The day you similarly "lampoon" one of YOUR sacred cows is a day I haven't yet witnessed.
Posted by: Ignatz | January 06, 2011 at 10:53 AM
"it's got to fit in a box with eleven dimensions"
IIRC the string theory version has 3 dimensions with depth and the rest are shallow (like a sheet of paper has 2 dimensions with depth and 1 paper thin).
This new version is derived from the holographic principle, 3 dimensional space is analogous to a hologram encoded on a 2 dimensional surface (reality = holodeck).
So maybe only two dimensions have depth.
Posted by: boris | January 06, 2011 at 11:02 AM
There always seems to be this struggle to staddle the other side with a situation that will draw them to your point of view, but unfortunately, with this pas Congress, under the sparkling leadership of Reid and Pelosi, they just went ahead and spent even more.
If the "Bush Tax Cuts" ended they just would have spent even more.
Posted by: Neo | January 06, 2011 at 11:08 AM
Well Yeah/Boris--- love the reference to gravity. For years I have tormented Lefty AGW believers with, how can you be so certain, when we don't even know what causes garvity. They immediately shout with glee, of course we know what causes gravity. A quick google search disabuses them. I too saw an article at the end of 2010 about new theories about gravity-- I guess the "Graviton" particle is out-- No not "dark matter" too! It's amazing that the latest theories of gravity make their way back to Newtonian physics. Hey-- it works for me, I put more stock in true geniuses like Newton and Einstein, than grant seeking hacks building Billion Dollar colliders. Anybody see that Higgs Bozon?
Posted by: NK | January 06, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Great post, TM. Turns out I'm a freshwater guy. Amazing the things we learn here at JOM.
I was never sure the saltwater guys, as I now know them, were aware that there are such things as individuals. Or if there are such things they don't ever decide anything.
That was my take on Krugman. He has to be in the saltwater camp since it almost always supports his case. Which seems to be that government should always tax and always spend, and always as much as humanly possibly, and the economy will always behave exactly as described in the Keynesian Users Guide.
But then he betrayed himself on the tax cut issue, claiming the lower income people would spend their tax cut money thus boosting aggregate demand, while upper income people wouldn't, and therefore they wouldn't boost aggregate demand. By arguing in this way he all but admitted that individuals make decision.
But he got it wrong anyway. Upper income folks will be rushing out to buy their shares of Berkshire Hathaway! Voila! Demand!
Posted by: Tom Bowler | January 06, 2011 at 12:49 PM
Now I get it.
The problem with Greece is that they didn't tax enough. Why didn't anybody think of that sooner?
Posted by: Boatbuilder | January 06, 2011 at 01:53 PM
"desperately want those federal funds"
IMO, the first thing the new Congress should do is eliminate the conducive BS where the Feds take all the money they can get from everywhere and then dole a little back to various states. IMO,It is nothing but a bribe system to get rep-s and senators to vote for BS and should be stopped immediately.
Posted by: Pagar | January 06, 2011 at 02:10 PM
re: gravity and 11 dimensions, etc., I enjoyed Smolin's The Trouble With Physics a few years back. It left me with the discomfiting fact that 25,000 man-years has been pissed away by about 1000 of the brightest minds in the scientific world trying to justify the string theory nonsense. As far as I'm concerned, this only better by degree from AGW, because they aren't (yet) demanding trillions to support they crap.
How about a new rule that if you can't make a falsifiable hypothesis, you can't get the grant money.
Posted by: Manuel Transmission | January 06, 2011 at 02:55 PM
rse, maybe the best we can hope for, is that kids grow up being sceptical of every damned thing.
In fact, that's a darned god idea for all of us.
Posted by: clarice | January 06, 2011 at 03:03 PM