Contra Krugman

Contra Krugman


Latest Episodes

Ep. 125 Is the Stock Market Telling Us Something?
February 08, 2018

Krugman insists that "the stock market is not the economy," and that downturns in the stock market need not portend bad economic times. But he takes the opportunity of stock market volatility to evaluate the present condition of the economy and its prospe

Ep. 124 Bitcoin Is Evil, and a Bubble, Says Krugman
February 02, 2018

Krugman thinks Bitcoin serves no good purpose, except perhaps for people who are up to no good, and is powered by libertarian fantasies and paranoia. Bob and Tom have some fun banter on this one.

Ep. 123 We're Forgetting How Bad Previous Presidents Were
January 26, 2018

Krugman complains about Trump again this week, and blames him for (among numerous other things) the loss of U.S. credibility abroad. We take a stroll down (recent) memory lane to add some perspective: there's plenty of presidential crappiness to go around

Ep. 122 Varieties of Wrongness: The Different Kinds of Keynesianism
January 20, 2018

This week we bypass Krugman's columns to discuss the different schools of Keynesianism, how and when they emerged, and what their differences are.

Ep. 121 We've Never Had a President Who.... Oh, Really?
January 12, 2018

Krugman hits a bunch of themes in this one, among them Alexander Hamilton, Russiagate, and the claim that no president ever acted on the desire to imprison his opponents. We restore a bit of perspective by glancing back at American history.

Ep. 120 Krugman Tries to Explain Away the 2017 Economy
January 09, 2018

Immediately after the 2016 election, Krugman predicted markets would "never" recover, but after a strong 2017, Krugman is suddenly reminded that presidents don't have much influence over the economy after all. But if we should need more stimulus, he says,

Ep. 119 Is Bitcoin More Evil Than Krugman?
December 30, 2017

In this episode, Bob once again flies solo, burdening the listeners with his odd sense of humor. But along the way, he tackles Krugman's objections to Bitcoin, and also discusses the relevance of Mises' regression theorem to the cryptocurrency.

Ep. 118 Krugman Talks Taxes, Debt, and the Innovative Post Office
December 23, 2017

In this episode, Bob flies solo when analyzing a Krugman interview with Vox's Ezra Klein. Being close to the holiday, it's only appropriate that our Keynesian Nobelist seems to be contradicting the ghost of Krugman past.

Ep. 117 How Bob Smacked Down Krugman on the Financial Crisis
December 17, 2017

Krugman is claiming that everything he said regarding housing and the financial crisis has been vindicated. The problem, he says, was a general collapse in "demand." Contra Krugman co-host Bob Murphy, on the other hand, has shown in his own writing that i

Ep. 116 Krugman Hearts the Neocons for Their Principles
December 06, 2017

Krugman is upset that more Republicans aren't speaking out against the tax bill that's been in the news. But there's one bright light for Krugman: the neocons. Lots of them have been soundly anti-Trump, and Krugman appreciates their adherence to principle

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