Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

And something different: talking to historians. I'm on an @AHAhistorians panel on Friday at 2 PM ET, focusing on the international implications of the 2020 election. Join me, @beverlygage, @AnaRMinian, and John McNeill by registering at the link: https://t.co/Z8N9w1Pu6q — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

I guess zombie Hugo Chavez is rigging the stock market too https://t.co/ObUnbHevgq — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

It's not either or. There isn't a budget constraint, only a political constraint. Dems loosened that constraint in part by promising $2000, so they should honor that promise and *also* extend enhanced UI. Complements not substitutes. — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Hate mail today: "A great day for negroes and jews". Fact check: true. Also for working Americans of all races and religions. And for democracy. — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

So broad-based stimulus and targeted aid to the unemployed weren't substitutes, but complements. And there's a broader lesson here: Dems should go big and package their priorities with popular stuff even if the policies aren't ideal 3/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

There wasn't a fixed pot of money to be spent. There was a political constraint. And Dems campaigning on the $2000 check have helped loosen that constraint, probably making extended UI possible 2/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

This demonstrates how many observers misunderstood the $2000 check gambit. It wasn't great policy, per se — a given amount of money would be better spent on extending unemployment benefits. But that wasn't the choice! 1/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

When Obama signed the ACA, Joe Biden said "This is a big [bleep]ing deal." It was. So was yesterday's election in GA. Stacey Abrams may have saved America's future. — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

This is right, but the contempt for voters goes beyond endorsing Trump's attempted coup. The substance-free R campaigns, involving nothing besides bogus accusations of Marxism and Qanonish hints, are also part of it https://t.co/pmyMhUi54U — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Put it this way: the craziness we're seeing from Trump and allies now isn't part of some elaborate political strategy. It's genuine craziness. And the worst may be yet to come 3/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Many progressives still seem to think of Republicans as basically tools of the oligarchy. Some are — and it arguably started that way. But the plutocrats have created a monster that is now out of control 2/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

The GOP has become an enemy of both democracy and truth 1/ https://t.co/NmYrcr8hAk — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

False. It’s a badge of shame. You only got it if you betrayed America — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Aha. I didn't know that there was a pandemic bucatini shortage. I did, however, know about the National Pasta Association; it caught my eye when I was in the US government back in 1982, along with the Cling Peach Advisory Board https://t.co/hti5j8YeRL — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

No, it's the day of the long ties — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

The cool, fashionable thing was to discount R extremism and claim that there was something equivalent among Ds. All this did was enable a downward spiral that didn't start with Trump and won't end with him. 2/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

People who are shocked by how many Rs are supporting Trump's bid to overturn the election haven't been paying attention. The party has been heading this way for a long time. From the introduction to my 2003 book The Great Unraveling 1/ https://t.co/SdSG20x4wR — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

To be clear: yes, I understand that Pence's role is supposed to be purely ceremonial. But there don't seem to be any rules for what happens if he refuses to play his pro forma part. I'm not making dark insinuations; I genuinely don't understand how this plays out — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Inquiring minds want to know: what happens if, on Wednesday, Mike Pence simply refuses to declare that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been elected? After everything that has already gone down, don't tell me that this is a silly concern https://t.co/T6iTDykDdj — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

So they can't wait to unleash violence on protestors, but hate the idea of fighting disease or poverty. My guess is that this is important. 4/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

This is clearly right. But I might somewhat speculatively add one specific reason why authoritarians don't want to deal with disasters: a punitive mindset. That is, people like Trump get satisfaction from hurting people, not helping them. 3/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

The P-S paper doesn't exactly explain why authoritarians like Trump and Bolsonaro have refused to deal with Covid; it suggests that they might have various reasons, and that their belief that they can deny reality empowers them to refuse action 2/ https://t.co/GeB7DwQKWn — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

This was a good post, and the Pozen- Scheppele paper it relies on is eye-opening (Kim was my office neighbor at Princeton, and posted about Hungary on my blog). But I think there's more to add 1/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Third, a thought: America is being terribly mismanaged, but it would probably be even worse — the vindictiveness would be taking an even bigger toll — if Trump weren't still having delusions about hanging on. So the last 2 weeks of his term may be a complete nightmare 3/ — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Second, his self-absorption was self-destructive: politicians who took the virus seriously were rewarded even when they weren't that successful 2/ https://t.co/U0i4I81iKa — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

A couple of takeaways from this shocking-but-not-surprising description of Trump's refusal to deal with the pandemic. First, character does matter: he's a terrible president in part because he's a horrible person 1/ https://t.co/BJp4U9iQOD — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Put it this way: 2/3 of House Rs are supporting an attempt to steal the presidency *that is doomed to fail*. An even higher proportion would support an effort with a good chance of success. — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

RT @nytopinion: "I’m in the camp that expects rapid growth once people feel safe going out and spending money," writes @PaulKrugman. https:… — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

If this is right, the Biden boom may go beyond a business cycle recovery. Let's hope 5/ https://t.co/qdmMFN4wVu — PolitiTweet.org

Paul Krugman @paulkrugman

Particularly impressed with bio-technology (vaccines!) and renewable energy 4/ https://t.co/4ydlDULwVm — PolitiTweet.org