I happened upon the latest column from Paul Krugman this morning in the New York Times. For those who do not know, Krugman is an economist who won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work regarding the effect of foreign trade. In his latest manifestation he has become a columnist at the Times who focuses on economic issues. His views are relentlessly statist and always extremely progressive. Indeed, he is, because of his pedigree (which has nothing to do with current economic issues), one of the more important voices supporting the so called policies being followed by president Obama regarding the economy. Lately, however, Krugman has moved on from economics to general politics where his true ambitions lie. In today's column we hear that the statements by Paul Ryan last week about the root causes and potential cures for poverty were not only "racist" but also a clear indication that all conservatives are actually motivated principally by racism. Think about that for a moment. Ryan blamed a culture that did not encourage work for some portion of poverty in America. Krugman falsely calls that racist. Then Krugman uses his own false charges to also call all conservatives racist. It is a travesty that ought not be in a weekly newspaper in Dothan, Alabama let alone the New York Times.
What is actually happening here is an expression of the intellectual bankruptcy of progressive thought. Progressives have no clear answer (and certainly no valid one) for what Ryan said. The programs put in place by progressives over the last fifty years have indeed reduced the incentive for work, encouraged behavior which is counter productive for society and slowed the economy. This is not an opinion, but a fact. What that means is that in a debate about these policies, progressives cannot talk about the merits of their programs without losing the battle. As a result, progressives use their main debating tactic which is to attack their opponents on a personal level. It used to be charged that conservatives were "heartless"; they did not care about the problems of the poor. If you are old enough, think back to the avalanche of such charges against Ronald Reagan. Of course, Reagan himself put those charges to rest with his personality, the results of his policies and the general truth that eventually reality triumphs over lies. After Reagan, however, progressives changed tactics. No longer were they only heartless, no, now they became "racist" and "sexist" and "homophobic" as well. Krugman is just following the well worn playbook.
It is time for conservatives to stop playing the game. We need conservative leaders who will come forward and laugh at charges of racism. These leaders need to smile, call the charges preposterous and then counter attack with valid descriptions of the results of progressive policies. After all, which is actually racist: 1) saying that the culture and government programs discourage work, or 2) advocating more programs that result in a permanent class of poor, unemployed people who live from one meager government handout to the next. Is it racist to want to help poor people break out of the trap of poverty where they are now ensnared or to advocate for programs that leave people in permanent poverty and servitude to the government?
Americans have to learn that words alone do not matter. After all these years with Obama in office, one would think that most people would realize that truth by now. Nevertheless, it is time to see that phony charges of racism are just that: PHONY CHARGES!
What is actually happening here is an expression of the intellectual bankruptcy of progressive thought. Progressives have no clear answer (and certainly no valid one) for what Ryan said. The programs put in place by progressives over the last fifty years have indeed reduced the incentive for work, encouraged behavior which is counter productive for society and slowed the economy. This is not an opinion, but a fact. What that means is that in a debate about these policies, progressives cannot talk about the merits of their programs without losing the battle. As a result, progressives use their main debating tactic which is to attack their opponents on a personal level. It used to be charged that conservatives were "heartless"; they did not care about the problems of the poor. If you are old enough, think back to the avalanche of such charges against Ronald Reagan. Of course, Reagan himself put those charges to rest with his personality, the results of his policies and the general truth that eventually reality triumphs over lies. After Reagan, however, progressives changed tactics. No longer were they only heartless, no, now they became "racist" and "sexist" and "homophobic" as well. Krugman is just following the well worn playbook.
It is time for conservatives to stop playing the game. We need conservative leaders who will come forward and laugh at charges of racism. These leaders need to smile, call the charges preposterous and then counter attack with valid descriptions of the results of progressive policies. After all, which is actually racist: 1) saying that the culture and government programs discourage work, or 2) advocating more programs that result in a permanent class of poor, unemployed people who live from one meager government handout to the next. Is it racist to want to help poor people break out of the trap of poverty where they are now ensnared or to advocate for programs that leave people in permanent poverty and servitude to the government?
Americans have to learn that words alone do not matter. After all these years with Obama in office, one would think that most people would realize that truth by now. Nevertheless, it is time to see that phony charges of racism are just that: PHONY CHARGES!
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