Krugman: Getting to Crazy

[Derechos]

There aren’t many positive aspects to the looming possibility of a U.S. debt default. But there has been, I have to admit, an element of comic relief — of the black-humor variety — in the spectacle of so many people who have been in denial suddenly waking up and smelling the crazy.

A number of commentators seem shocked at how unreasonable Republicans are being. “Has the G.O.P. gone insane?” they ask.

Why, yes, it has. But this isn’t something that just happened, it’s the culmination of a process that has been going on for decades. Anyone surprised by the extremism and irresponsibility now on display either hasn’t been paying attention, or has been deliberately turning a blind eye.

And may I say to those suddenly agonizing over the mental health of one of our two major parties: People like you bear some responsibility for that party’s current state.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/opinion/15krugman.html?ref=opinion

[LiberalAndProud]

1. Yup, they're insane, but so are their believers.

I believe it's caused by an infectious virus. Three branches of government, the judiciary and the fourth estate all have manifested symptoms of the infection. Is it fatal? Time will tell, I guess.

[TalkingDog]

2. Reminds me of this scene:

[chill_wind]

3. K & R.

President Obama has made it clear that he’s willing to sign on to a deficit-reduction deal that consists overwhelmingly of spending cuts, and includes draconian cuts in key social programs, up to and including a rise in the age of Medicare eligibility. These are extraordinary concessions. As The Times’s Nate Silver points out, the president has offered deals that are far to the right of what the average American voter prefers — in fact, if anything, they’re a bit to the right of what the average Republican voter prefers!

Yet Republicans are saying no. Indeed, they’re threatening to force a U.S. default, and create an economic crisis, unless they get a completely one-sided deal. And this was entirely predictable.

[OHdem10]

4. The MSM has been the GOP enablers over the years.

[jwirr]

5. And we should not let them forget it. nt

[FredStembottom]

6. When B. Clinton signed broadcast deregulation in 1996

...the slide to Limbaugh-World was so easy to see.
The only surprise has been how precisely we tumbled into that dungeon... exactly as predicted.
De-regulate media ownership - and only the richest few get a voice in America.
It was utterly predictable - and yet it was done anyway.

:grr:

[Vinnie From Indy]

7. This the price that must be paid by the few sane Republicans left

for allowing Rush Limbaugh and FOX news to dictate and amplify the lies, fear and insanity. Rush is out there every day making millions of weak minded people believe EXACTLY what Krugman writes about in regard to the discredited and factually incorrect beliefs being tossed around by leaders in the GOP.

Make no mistake! Obama is offering cuts that are to the right of what most Republican voters want and it still is not good enough for the GOP. Why is that? RUSH LIMBAUGH and the army of right wing media pundits. The issue is, quite simply, that the GOP finds itself unable to regulate the flow of crazy being fed to its idiot "base".

If it came to a default situation, Obama should first shut down every federal operation in the Congressional districts held by the folks that signed the Grover Norquist suicide pact letter. Let those voters in those districts feel the searing heat of default first and for as long as it takes for the GOP to come back to reality.

What is truly depressing is that in the end, Obama will still lay the foundation for further attacks on SS and Medicare.

[Gregorian]

8. I really like this Krugman.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he posted on DU. He's got our sense of urgency/reality.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Hey tweety that is you