Does Paul Krugman Read "The News In Shorts?"

Paul Krugman made an appearance on "Newsnight" tonight and, much to Jeremy Paxman's amusement, made mincemeat of the right wing opposition to his ideas. In quick succession he routed Ken Ragoff, Paul Mason and Allegra Stratton, all of whom trotted out the tired and discredited mantra that austerity and deregulation will cure our economic woes. In one telling illustration he compared the present politicians, both here in Britain and in the rest of Europe, to Medieval doctors intent on bleeding their patients white - a comparison made by "The News In Shorts" in its report entitled "Tories Continue To Kill The Patient" on May 24th. So does Paul Krugman read "The News In Shorts?" We asked the nobel prize-winning economist; "The News In Shorts? Never heard of it. And stop pinching my metaphors before I use them." Oh well, chagrined as the editor was by this, this reporter is more a fan of Mr.Krugman than ever. After two years of complete failure, with economies shrinking across the world, unemployment rising through the roof and no sign whatsoever of the private sector magically expanding to save us all from an impending depression, all Ken Ragoff, Paul Mason and Allegra Stratton could say is that debts have to be paid off double-quick no matter what disasters befall us, that young people are straining at the leash to establish new vibrant businesses and are held back only by excessive employment regulation and that tax cuts for the rich are the key to prosperity. In other words more of the same. As Mr.Krugman pointed out this is merely ideology masquerading as economics as right-wingers scrabble to shrink the state while they have the opportunity. Everywhere the neoliberal-supporting establishment have tried to curb democracy, here in Britain by insisting on a full five year term for this woeful coalition government, in Greece and Italy where elected heads of state have been replaced by bankers and even in Canada where attempts have been made to outlaw student protests over rising university fees. Defending the indefensible, trying to save an economic system broken beyond repair, moronic national leaders have prevaricated, tried their best to have the poor pay for the mistakes of the rich and, after two years of utter idiocy, are now facing the prospect of a disorderly exit from the Euro by Greece -an event that any moron could see coming from a mile away.