Let's play a fun new game, called Why We're Fucked.
What follows are two sets of quotes from two different articles I found on the Internets about The Economy.
One of these quote sets -- Set A -- was written by absolute idiot Chuck Norris, whose economic ideas we are reading about because he made action movies and got hit on the head a lot, and also he loves Jesus.
The second set -- Set B -- was written by Paul Krugman, who may have other claims to economic expertise.
The point of this exercise is to axe you, the reader, which set of quotes more accurately represents the opinions of those likely to be implementing economic policy in the years to come, dancing to a frenzied drum, out of the murderous non-innocence of DC.
In other words, is Chuck Norris (A) or Paul Krugman (B) more representative of conventional wisdom about the economy, as it is figured in the public debate in mainstream media channels?
A. While laying blame on both big political parties' spending sprees for burying us in a recession, the ad challenged: "It's been nearly two years since you made that pledge, Mr. President. Since then, you've signed into law an $800 billion 'stimulus' package and a massive new health care entitlement -- adding trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities to our grandchildren's tab."
With the economy teetering on bankruptcy and virtually every American household making deep cuts and sacrifices, isn't it way past time, Mr. President, for you and that wayward Congress to identify the programs you'll cut?
B. Here’s the narrative you hear everywhere: President Obama has presided over a huge expansion of government, but unemployment has remained high. And this proves that government spending can’t create jobs.
Here’s what you need to know: The whole story is a myth. There never was a big expansion of government spending. In fact, that has been the key problem with economic policy in the Obama years: we never had the kind of fiscal expansion that might have created the millions of jobs we need.
And:
A. First, our Washington representatives should immediately stop any thought, form or legislation that would lead to more federal borrowing or bailouts (unlike Obama's theory and practice of spending our way to prosperity, which has proved only to be a sure way to sink America). Lawmakers should rescind the remaining funds from TARP, as well as repeal the high-priced health care law.
B. Ask yourself: What major new federal programs have started up since Mr. Obama took office? Health care reform, for the most part, hasn’t kicked in yet, so that can’t be it. So are there giant infrastructure projects under way? No. Are there huge new benefits for low-income workers or the poor? No. Where’s all that spending we keep hearing about? It never happened.
Oh, and one more:
A. .... our Washington representatives should engage in only non-debt-building actions and legislation that would immediately encourage Main Street and augment entrepreneurial incentives.
B. .... if job-creating government spending has failed to bring down unemployment in the Obama era, it’s not because it doesn’t work; it’s because it wasn’t tried.
I know, there are all sorts of reasons why this is not a perfect exercise in its given capacity for explaining precisely why we're so horribly fucked. But it's not entirely devoid of explanatory value in this regard, either.
I mean, man, are we ever fucked...
MORE. Oh for fuck's sake, check please.