That car in the background is Thomas Friedman, a/k/a the Moustache of Understanding.
My diary on Wednesday -- Tweet Storm Shows Krugman thinks Friedman is an idiot — showed that
Paul Krugman’s much tweeted “Storm” was directed at Friedman’s column that day, How Clinton Could Knock Trump Out. Today, the Nobel winner piles on, devoting a full column, No Right Turn, to mercilessly ripping Friedman apart (politely not mentioning the “Friedman Unit” guy’s name because of Times protocol, or something). (Google “Friedman Unit” if you don’t know it.)
Wednesday, Friedman wrote Hillary should try to appeal to “center-right” -- R’s who can’t take Trump, and go right with “pro-growth, start-up, deregulation, entrepreneurship agenda and give them a positive reason to vote for her.” Friedman mentions the magic word “growth” ten times in his article. Krugman writes Hillary’s program doesn’t need to be more “pro-growth.”
There’s absolutely no evidence that tax cuts for the rich and radical deregulation, which is what right-wingers mean when they talk about pro-growth policies, actually work, or that strengthening the social safety net does any harm.
Friedman also mentions the need for a President to “govern with a center-left, center-right coalition.” Krugman responds this idea is an
offer to create an American version of a European-style grand coalition of the center-left and the center-right.
I don’t think there’s much prospect that Mrs. Clinton will actually do that. But if by any chance she and those around her are tempted to take this recommendation seriously: Don’t.
Unmentioned by Friedman (or Krugman) is immigration reform — one of Friedman’s favorite “pro-growth” policies. Either Friedman has no clue that the voters he seeks to attract with “pro-growth” policies are voting primarily for racist, xenophobic reasons or he is cynically failing to mention it because it doesn’t fit with his nonsense “center” theme. I think it would giving him too much credit to suppose he left it out intentionally because it doesn’t fit his theme of attracting Trump voters.
It must drive Krugman nuts that he has to share a page with such an pompous dolt.
More from the excellent Rectification of Names.
