<font size=4>The First Refuge of a Scoundrel<font size=3>
Tuesday's <font size=4>Krugman<font size=3> column, "Patriots and Profits," is another unfocused compilation of leftwing anti-war complaints disguised as a coherent argument. He cites Halliburton, war profiteering, and an unrelated scandal involving the president's younger brother Neil Bush. Then Krugman awkwardly works in this defense: <font size=4>"Some Americans still seem to feel that even suggesting the possibility of profiteering is somehow unpatriotic."
Krugman doesn't name any of these Americans making these scurrilous accusations. No surprise there. Accusing Republicans (without evidence) of slandering Democrats as unpatriotic is one of Krugman's favorite pieces of anti-Republican boilerplate, typically wedged into a column whenever his stock of inspired vitriol is running low. This latest example is just one particularly strained attempt by Krugman to seize imaginary high ground by suggesting people with his views are being slandered by Republicans as unpatriotic.
Paul Krugman, October 3: "Republicans have repeatedly impugned their opponents' patriotism. Last year Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, said Democrats "don't want to protect the American people….They will do anything, spend all the time and resources they can, to avoid confronting evil." On this occasion Krugman at least delivers a piece of evidence (albeit an unconvincing one) to back up his sanctimonious assertion.
Most of the times Krugman simply states his "Republicans impugn Democratic patriotism" idea as fact. Here's Krugman from September 5: "Mr. Bush seems to have a serious case of 'l'etat, c'est moi': he impugns the patriotism of anyone who questions his decisions." Krugman's documentation: Nothing.
And from April 25: "And claiming that those who don't support tax cuts are somehow unpatriotic is not an answer." Krugman's documentation: Nothing.
Krugman from Nov. 8, 2002: "Even criticizing the Bush administration's policies will become far more difficult. It will be hard even to find out what it's up to; the most secretive administration in the nation's history will now be even less forthcoming. And anyone who criticizes the administration, even on purely domestic issues, will be accused of lacking patriotism." Krugman's documentation: You guessed it.
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For more of Krugman and patriotism, click here......
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