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October 14, 2013
The Mouthpiece of Redistribution
In his flattering foreword to Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy, Paul Krugman reveals the source of his dictatorship fantasies.He writes: I didn’t grow up wanting to be a square-jawed individualist or join a heroic quest; I grew up wanting to be Hari Seldon, using my understanding of the mathematics of human behavior to save civilization.Translation: I spent my childhood wishing that one day I could use large computer models to govern humanity. “Saving civilization” is always a euphemism for stomping on its neck. Krugman became an economist so he could advise political prima donnas on how to best shove around the serfs. - - Taki's Magazine
Posted by gerardvanderleun at October 14, 2013 11:21 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
If we only had a Mule.
Posted by: David McKinnis at October 14, 2013 1:26 PM
Well, the real way to save civilization is to be a monk who's a teacher and librarian, or to have the gift of prophecy like the prophets of Israel. Asimov filed the serial numbers off Gibbon and Jesus, made the monks into psychohistorians, and turned the prophets of God into Hari Seldon. But even Asimov subverted the paradigm pretty quickly by having Hari Seldon's plan run off the rails (or appear to, depending which story you believe).
Krugman, OTOH, actually believes his own self-deluding propaganda. He's not interested in teaching; he's interested in preaching the glories of himself and ruling humanity through that.
But yeah, his basic problem is that he thinks he's smarter than he is. How he can think this when he's wrong so often -- that's another indication that he's just not that good at his job, or understanding basic reality.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at October 14, 2013 2:08 PM
"But even Asimov subverted the paradigm pretty quickly by having Hari Seldon's plan run off the rails"
Only due to the appearance of a mutant that could not be predicted by the laws of "psychohistory". Eventually the psychohistorians of the Second Foundation defeated the Mule and set the galaxy back on its proper course toward a Second Emprire run by a secret cabal of experts.
Posted by: pst314 at October 15, 2013 7:18 AM
Heh, a couple/few years back the Krugman butted into a conversation I was having with a friend in a jungle bar that's known for its beer drinking pigs and ended up calling me a "sophist"...After I'd bought everyone at the bar a round of shots.
Come to discover his version of the word 'Sophist' apparently means; "you're kicking my prize-winning ass, so shut up or my friends will realize I'm a pasty c*nt who brings claptrap to a rhetoric fight". He and those skandi dynamite peaceniks may strongly believe that he's got a formidable mind, but mammawanna knows otherwise.
In his defense, I don't think he quite expected to collide headlong into a capitalist pig drinking beer at the Domino Club - which is known for capitalizing on its beer drinking pigs.
Anyway, he and his buzz-mate then tried to invite me on a boat trip to a nearby island the next day before beating a hasty retreat back to the white side of the island.
Fucking Keynsians.
Posted by: monkeyfan at October 15, 2013 7:37 AM
...In my defense: I tried to spell "Keynesians" before my mid-morning coffee kicked in.
Posted by: monkeyfan at October 15, 2013 7:44 AM