Legal Commentary

Krugman On Friedman

By Big Tent Democrat

The great thing about Paul Krugman, and something bloggers should learn from, he is not afraid to take on other pundits, even those on his own team. Atrios gets the chance to riff off of the Tom Friedman "Suck on This" video yet again because Krugman calls out Friedman. Here is the video:

Here is what Krugman wrote:

I heard a number of people express privately the argument that some influential commentators made publicly — that the war was a good idea, not because Iraq posed a real threat, but because beating up someone in the Middle East, never mind who, would show Muslims that we mean business. In other words, even alleged wise men bought into the idea of macho posturing as policy.

More . . .

But here is where Krugman is wrong:

All this is in the past.

But it isn't in the past. The stupidity that permeated every level of Washington on every issue, but especially on Iraq, has left the Beltway unscathed. Tom Friedman still writes at the Times. Fred Hiatt is still the Editor of the WaPo Editorial Page. People still listen to David Brooks. and if he were alive, the incompetent Tim Russert would still be the King of the Hill. There has been no reshuffling of the "Wise Men" of Washington.

No Accountability is not a concept restricted to government. It applies to all parts of Washington. That is not a thing of the past.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 08, 2008 (boomark / email).