Krugman is getting close to the edge

[sabrina 1]

86. Krugman is doing the job he signed on to do. He informs the public, AND elected

officials who presumably read the NYT. But why was he not asked to join the Obama Administration, or Stiglitz, or Galbraith, or any one of a number of economists who have been RIGHT all along?

Everyone can't be an elected official. The press performs an important job, maybe even more important than, at least, some of our elected officials. What they do with the information provided by people like Krugman is not his responsibility. And while you say he risks nothing, like all journalists who tell the truth, he risks the anger of elected officials, which he has experienced, and maybe even his job if they decide he's a problem. See Ashley Banfield, eg.

What risk does a politician take if s/he chooses to push policies that are right? Losing the next election? Maybe, and some have had the courage to do that.

Just as you say Krugman is taking no risks, neither are politicians who don't fight for what is right, but go along with the status quo.

I don't see the point of comparing an economist with an elected official, they both signed on to different jobs and we wouldn't expect a politician to do Krugman's job, so why demand that, in order to have credibility, Krugman needs to do THEIR job?

The truth is, which was my point re the '60' number, when they want something, they get it and that number means nothing.

An example of that were the Bank Bailouts. Congress, in response to the people, and believing it was the right thing to do, voted against the bailouts. They didn't have the numbers, that should have been the end of it. But no, it wasn't. We now know from several members of Congress that they were threatened if they did not vote for Henry Paulson's bailouts. Over 80% of the people in the polls said 'no' to bailouts, they called their Reps, their Reps listened, Paulson lost. He didn't have the numbers.

But because they wanted it so badly, they went back and forced another vote, going so far as to bully members of Congress into giving them the numbers they needed.

If only they would use the same tactics for things the people actually want. The banks wanted that vote, and regardless of what the people wanted, they got it. That was my point and that is not the only example I could give.