Do we need any more evidence that the Nobel Prize is no evidence of intelligence?

Barack Be Good

"Before Mr. Obama can make government cool, however, he has to make it good. Indeed, he has to be a goo-goo.

Goo-goo, in case you’re wondering, is a century-old term for “good government” types, reformers opposed to corruption and patronage. Franklin Roosevelt was a goo-goo extraordinaire. He simultaneously made government much bigger and much cleaner. Mr. Obama needs to do the same thing."

Here we have all the evidence we need that that the Bambi-watching Krugman has become (or has always been) a full-blown fool. In lock-step with the "compassionate government" crowd (my kids and their friends are in this, too) we are supposed to buy into the notion that the world's largest corporate bureaucracy , mired in process, union contracts, corruption, and silly political rules is somehow supposed to become "good". Oh, how marvelous a thing we shall have! If we can only make it bigger, it will be that much better! So, how'd we do with that whole thing making the banks and the insurance companies "bigger"? Yes, but our intentions were good....
Now, I don't really want to rain on this naive, adolescent parade; but I feel I must - if nothing else than to finally prove that Krugman is little more than a self-promoting snake oil salesman. First, his charactization of Roosevelt is so dead wrong, but appropriately self-serving, that I had to stop wretching before I could even write this. Second, do we really need to discuss the fact that institutions and things cannot be anthropomorphized into "good" or "bad" moral entities (hence the Bambi reference)? Do you own a "compassionate" car? Perhaps and empathetic washing machine?

If you think politicizing your health care is going to make it any better - please take a look at the last 25 years and tell me how we've done so far. If you think throwing (more) money at the educational system is going to get the job done - please tell me you don't work in the evidence department at your local police station. Do we really need to discuss the histories of Social Security, the CIA, the State Department, and just about each and every government department you can think of in order to finally realize that "bigger" in almost never "better" - unless, of course, you work in those places.

But, no... Mr. Krugman sees it otherwise. Methinks because he (like so many others) believes that from behind his cushy little desk at his well-endowed school, he can run your life so much better than you can. You see, he won a medal.....

Update: At least I'm not the only one who's a sceptic.....