Equivalences: Prof. Paul Krugman takes on the wimpy, whining, Koch brothers

[LongTomH]

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/equivalences/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Opinion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body

There are definitely times when it seems that our winner-take-all society is also a whiner-take-all society; it’s really amazing how quick billionaires are to portray themselves as victims because some people say nasty things about them. One remarkable aspect of this whining is that the nasty things aren’t really all that nasty. Saying that the Koch brothers are using their wealth to promote a political agenda that will make them even wealthier is a substantive claim, not character assassination; it’s not at all the same as, say, suggesting that Hillary Clinton is a murderer. Yet the Kochs and Perkinses act as if this kind of thing were utterly vile, an attack on their liberty.

The other remarkable thing is the instant escalation of hurt feelings into a Godwin’s Law violation. You see, liberals criticize the Kochs; that makes them just like Hitler and Stalin, who murdered their opponents.

But wait, there’s more. What I’ve been hearing from Koch defenders is that people like me have no standing to ridicule billionaires. You see, I sometimes say sarcastic things about the arguments of people who disagree with me, and even question their motives when they say things I consider obviously wrong. And that’s just like comparing such people to Hitler.

The thing is, I don’t think the crybaby thing is an act, put on for strategic purposes. I think it’s real. Billionaires really are feeling vulnerable despite their wealth and power, or perhaps because of it. And the apparatchiks serving the .01 percent are deeply insecure, culturally and intellectually, so that ridicule cuts deep.

It’s kind of sad, really – but also more than a bit scary: When great power goes along with fragile egos, seriously bad things can happen.

[progressivegrrrl]

1. and if you fear government, how will you feel when these guys rule the country?

What is scary is that we are giving up our democracy for the few .01%. What is funny when they start bringing up Hitler, ask how did Hitler get so many millions of people to follow him? Once they get the republicans to destroy our safety nets for a Ayn Randian society, it will be too late. These mega billionaires do NOT have any interest in Americans...they have proven it by saying that a 32,000 salary still is the top 1% in the world, (without giving cost of living a thought) They are in a competetion amongst them for greed and power., Which is a dangerous thing.

[hue]

2. This analysis really hits the mark!! The insecurity of a billionaire-->not to be taken lightly!

[Bill USA]

3. conservatives are deeply insecure, that's WHY they are Conservative. That's why totalitarian

systems (where they of course are in control) appeal to them so much. Typically, conservatives feel THEY are under threat from the 'them'. Their paranoia enables them to rationalize totalitarian measures they always want to enforce (Tom Delay used Dept of Homeland Security to track down Texas Dems who didn't want to be party to Texas Repubs Gerrymandering scheme).


Great article. recommended!