Dismalicious
So economists have always taken a bit of pride in that whole "dismal science" crack. We like to think of ourselves as tellers of hard truths and we certainly love telling politicians "go ahead and do this dumb thing but know that it is dumb for these reasons."
We are enemies of the soft-hearted and the soft-headed, of socialism and of the socialism of fools.
Like most people I had heard that the label "dismal science" was given by Thomas Carlyle, as a reflection on Thomas Malthus and his cassandrism on reproduction and food production.
But now economists can be even prouder of the label. It was given to them not justly on account of Malthus's trendy predictions but because of J.S. Mill's fierce defense of abolitionism.
This article contains many other interesting political questions on Victorian England. It is, I think a little hard on the paternalists Charles Dickens and John Ruskin, but only a little. The paternalists wished to see the slaves freed only after intense education, which does capture a salient point. It would have been easier for blacks to integrate with white society with some education and "nation building" in the south. But the abolitionists surely had the right order, freedom first, learning second.
Paul Krugman Quote of The Day
"Talk is cheap, but is so is wearing a flag on your lapel."
New Krug vs. Old Krug
I do miss the older, longer Paul Krugman pieces that I found in Slate, Foreihn Affairs and The New York Times Magazine (we still get a few of those).
Yes he has become more partisan. He doesn't criticise democrats as much as he used to, largely because I think the democrats have listened to him. A few times his antipathy to the Bush adminitration has blinded him. I even think he was overdoing it in opposing the first round of tax cuts. As a compromise they were as silly in content as compromises tend to be, but good politics for both parties.
But as far as critics of the Bush administration few have been as forceful, serious and smart as he has. He makes me still want to call myself a democrat.