“I rarely read Paul Krugman’s column, but today I did, because an old friend sent the latest one to me. I gotta tell ya, Krugman could do standup! Really, he’s a riot. Most economists can pass for undertakers, but not this fellow. He’s truly funny. I know I should be kind to him, on grounds of collegiality toward a fellow economist, so I’m not going to go on and on about his stunningly sophomoric ideas on economics, income distribution, the Great Depression, how best to deal with business recessions, and so forth. Besides, I’d never earn a marksman’s medal for shooting a fish in a barrel. But good golly, Miss Molly, here’s what he says in the column, in discussing the proposed ’stimulus’ plan the next administration hopes to get enacted into law soon after it takes office. ‘The biggest problem facing the Obama plan … is likely to be the demand of many politicians for proof that the benefits of the proposed public spending justify its costs — a burden of proof never imposed on proposals for tax cuts.’” (01/05/09)