Worse Than Fiction - by Paul Krugman

[madinmaryland]

Once again Mr. Krugman hits a homerun!

I've been thinking of writing a political novel. It will be a bad novel because there won't be any nuance: the villains won't just espouse an ideology I disagree with - they'll be hypocrites, cranks and scoundrels.

In my bad novel, a famous moralist who demanded national outrage over an affair and writes best-selling books about virtue will turn out to be hiding an expensive gambling habit. A talk radio host who advocates harsh penalties for drug violators will turn out to be hiding his own drug addiction.

In my bad novel, crusaders for moral values will be driven by strange obsessions. One senator's diatribe against gay marriage will link it to "man on dog" sex. Another will rant about the dangers of lesbians in high school bathrooms.

-snip

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/07/opinion/07krugman.html?oref=login

[HannibalBarca]

1. Excellent

Well worth the read.

[rodeodance]

2. reality worse than fiction---I think Krugman is right on!!

from your post:
....Did Mr. Gonzales defer to the wishes of a president who wanted Mr. Kerik anyway, or did he decide that his boss wouldn't want to know? (The Nelson Report, a respected newsletter, reports that Mr. Bush has made it clear to his subordinates that he doesn't want to hear bad news about Iraq.)

Either way, when the Senate confirms Mr. Gonzales, it will mean that Iokiyar remains in effect, that the basic rules of ethics don't apply to people aligned with the ruling party. And reality will continue to be worse than any fiction I could write.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. kick

[Dora]

4. Beautiful column. Somebody had to say it, glad it was PK.

That wussy NYT doesn't deserve such a good columnist - he's one of the very few reasons I still buy their paper on occasion.

KICK!

[trogdor]

9. You and me both.

Too many mainstream media outlets get so wrapped around the axle trying to present "the other side" of the argument, even when there really isn't one.

[giant_robot]

5. Great article. Sadly, it's right on the mark. n/t

[realFedUp]

6. Such a great column about our current bad non-fiction

Watch your back Paul please.

[madinmaryland]

7. I've been reading Paul Krugman's commentary

for the last several years and he has always been dead on in regards to the Bush administration, whether it is about the economy, Iraq, Social Security, and so on.

[yurbud]

8. sent it to my friends

[GOPFighter]

10. Iokiyar!

I'm going to have a bumper sticker made that says:

Immorality: Iokiyar

Below that it will say "It's OK if you're a Republican"

[grasswire]

11. nicely crafted

the perfect example of commentary.

[eauclaireliberal]

12. RE:"Worse Than Fiction - by Paul Krugman"

In my bad novel, apologists for the administration will charge foreign policy critics with anti-Semitism. But they will be silent when a prominent conservative declares that "Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular."

Duh. I've only been saying this since December of 2000.

[Raster]

13. Don't forget to include the political party that claims the morals and...

...values mantle and commits election fraud by using a variety of illegal and/or questionable methods to influence not one, not two, but THREE national elections. And please, do tell that the president this party installed in the White House is one of the worst presidents in history, presiding over one of most crony-ridden administrations ever.