Krugman Instructs the World, Again, on War, Globalization and Sensibilities

Political Ideas are frequently derived by a narrow redaction of isolated historical events and then intercalating the extract with some current observation. Using this ‘synthesis’ theorem, the basis of Marxism, any necessary prediction may be hatched.  Today we are treated to such a propagandistic construction from the NYT—aka the Walter Duranty Papers[1]. We do not expect a rational essay or even competent research or accurate comments on history or even a balanced essay fundamental economics from this author. What we observe is an unswerving quest to highlight any and all leftist social programs whether they are destructive or not using the premise that socialism must be the only solution to the problems of society.  History, thusly, becomes the wobbly crutch and dim-sighted wanton hand-maiden upon which exciting new propositions for tax hikes are based. A stipulation that must be broached in circular essays of this ilk is that although capitalism has crushed the brutal efforts of Marxism, progressive socialism is predicted, justified and holds the only solution for the future of mankind. Since it is easily shown that capitalism is the death of liberalism and Marxism and all of their slimy variants, then capitalism must be defeated using any and all political  mechanisms including lies, Bolshevik propaganda, slogans, phony science[2], alliances with terrorists and worse. These are the allies of the left and those who would attack capitalism can wander through the latrines in search of the proper butt nuggets to polish and show to the world. Today we witness a characteristic propaganda piece that incorporates all of this political fluff.  

We begin our journey into the particulars of polemics and elementary propaganda with this opening salvo in the War against Capitalism from Paul Krugman:

“So far, the international economic consequences of the war in the Caucasus have been fairly minor, despite Georgia’s role as a major corridor for oil shipments. But as I was reading the latest bad news, I found myself wondering whether this war is an omen — a sign that the second great age of globalization may share the fate of the first.”[3]-- The Great Illusion By Paul Krugman [Emphasis is mine in all quotes. This link references all quotes in this essay unless otherwise noted. ]

It is characteristic of circular logical constructions that one states the conclusion first and then wanders around in the mystical waters of polemics and political slogans to dredge up enough material to justify the premise. This is elementary propaganda and we have seen this many times[4] from the New York Times. The game here is to watch this comedy unfold:

“If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, here’s what you need to know: our grandfathers lived in a world of largely self-sufficient, inward-looking national economies — but our great-great grandfathers lived, as we do, in a world of large-scale international trade and investment, a world destroyed by nationalism.”

This is half a thought, at best. Only the leftist world and its sick dreams of a Golden Age were destroyed, mostly by Ronald Reagan, conservatism and simple business methods. The idiot communists never had any chance. Their economic system is a joke. As such, we need to rewrite much of history to show that we can avoid all those profits, inventions, the good life and lots of private property if we simply seek out the left-liberal leaders and beg them to tax us into prosperity.  This worked out for the kulaks very well in a process known as Dekulakization [5].

If you need power or money just bash somebody’s brains in and take what you need. –Paraphrase of Lenin.

We now must defer to an ‘expert’ on economics who caught the attention of FDR, Churchill, Lenin, Stalin and others by his phony notion that government spending would solve some social problems. The details of this review are omitted as they show nothing but failure.

“Writing in 1919, the great British economist John Maynard Keynes described the world economy as it was on the eve of World War I….”

He refers to capitalism and its rewards.

“But then came three decades of war, revolution, political instability, depression and more war. By the end of World War II, the world was fragmented economically as well as politically. And it took a couple of generations to put it back together.

So, can things fall apart again? Yes, they can.”

Nothing was put back together. Remember the Cold War and the Great Leap Forward?

This is an example of using a sweeping generalization [translated as a sophomoric lie for the Ivy League types who are True Believers] to justify some urgent rectification of past methods so as to avoid the next catastrophe. The problem with this analysis is that the far left [6]caused the problem with their grunting and grabbing of power and created the swamp that became Europe for decades. Only after the Evil Empire was crushed did we see prosperity [read capitalism here] emerge as the only reasonable solution to social progress.

So, here comes the punch line[s]:

Krugman identifies several problems:

[1] The food crisis.

[2] Militarism and imperialism.”

[3] The end of the Pax Americana.

[4] Europe’s dependence on Russian energy.

He then rakes the muck of failed political theorems with citing some Brit “...Norman Angell, published a famous book titled “The Great Illusion,”[7] in which he argued that war had become obsolete...”

Angell’s theme [before WW1]  was: “The thesis of the book was that the integration of the economies of European countries had grown to such a degree that war between them would be entirely futile, making militarism obsolete.”[8]

Gee, that worked out swell. I guess we didn’t have two world wars. What a joke. It is surprising that war is obsolete. Are the Russians obsolete?

Krugman now fumbles and fails to find a solution:

“Angell was right to describe the belief that conquest pays as a great illusion. But the belief that economic rationality always prevents war is an equally great illusion. And today’s high degree of global economic interdependence, which can be sustained only if all major governments act sensibly, is more fragile than we imagine.”

 Krugman said exactly nothing in this essay. We expect to make something of the words “economic rationality” and sensibility in terms of the Russians grabbing more loot as they have done for several centuries? The Spanish got nothing from crushing the savages in the New World? The Romans wasted their time conquering Egypt and Greece and Palestine? It is an illusion that the Russians are getting rich from selling oil to the Europeans?

Missing in this truncated view of history and reality are:

[a] The impact of Russian energy sales on Global Warming.

[b] A first-class plan to impose a huge energy tax on the Russians.

[c] The role of world government [UN Follies] on this action.

[d] At least circumstantial evidence that Dick Cheney and his oil patch buddies benefit from this.

[e] That Obama has the recipe for peace in this conflict.

[f] The effect on racism by the Georgians and Russians in their current squabble over territory.

[g] The role of NATO here.

[h] The possibility that the Islamo-Fascisti in Europe would be offended and encourage the old Islamic satellites from the shrunken USSR to rebel.

The facts are that the Russians can only gain from forcing their victims to use their energy. This is an old plan. It was very clear in 1880 that countries with vast natural resources would be superpowers in the modern age. Conveniently for the West, the idiot Russians bungled the job for 120 years. In 2007, the EU was the world’s largest importer of oil and gas.[9]  Thus, the silly notions of Angell and his head-banging peaceniks are again shown to be worthless in predictability currency.  Those with power crush those with less power.

Also, while giving out suggestions we wonder where the development of ‘alternative’ fuels and battery-powered cars and such went as the Europeans certainly knew that the Russians could not be trusted. What happned to the Greens here? The French did plan ahead with nuclear power, a nation where little cachet is owed.  Where is the criticism of European energy planning? It is apparent that the NYT is loath to criticize their ideological masters in Moscow. Maybe if the Soviets turn off the gas lines to the supplicants that crawl in their shadow the result will be a lowering of the carbon dioxide levels. That would save the world from destruction.

Where is the criticism of placing missiles in Poland? Where are the Ukrainians in this mess? Where are NATO and the UN?

Krugman is an illusion. There never was any peace or sensibility in this world. The Germans and others will just have to learn new songs and praise as they grovel and lick Russian boots. They are stupid. [10]  They now lick Islamic boots as well.

rycK

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