Contra Krugman
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Latest Episodes
Ep. 35 Debt Default: Good or Bad?
You'll never guess: Krugman contradicts himself this week, but only Bob Murphy, who knows Krugman's columns inside and out, caught him. This week the topic is whether it's a good idea at some point to repay the national debt at less than face value. Krugm
Ep. 34 What the World Needs Is More Spending
Surveying the economic stagnation in Europe, all Krugman can come up with is an alleged need for more government spending.
Ep. 33 Krugman and Hamilton Sitting in a Tree
According to Krugman, we should embrace the ideas of Alexander Hamilton, particularly his view that the national debt is in fact a "national blessing." We are unconvinced!
Ep. 32 Why Antitrust Is the Problem, Not the Solution
Krugman is now blaming poor economic times (but hasn't he been trying to tell us things are much better than the stupid right-wingers say?) on a lack of competition. Lax antitrust enforcement is the problem! Sure it is. In fact, antitrust itself is the pr
Ep. 31 The Nonsensical Case for More Regulation
Krugman is upset this week at a judicial ruling that held that the government's case for naming MetLife a Systemically Important Financial Institution (SIFI) was inadequate and should be thrown out. Sure, it's impossible to nail down what the criteria for
Ep. 30 Obama's Been a Great President? Not So Fast
Krugman argues that blinkered conservatives and cynical progressives alike have failed to appreciate the successes of the Obama presidency. He concentrates on four areas: the economy, health care, financial reform, and climate change. We concentrate on th
Ep. 29 We're Told to Fear Globalization, but We Shouldn't
This week Krugman says we ought to acknowledge that there are losers in international trade, and that we should introduce government subsidies, rather than trade restrictions, to help them. He says right-wing ideologues have failed to make note of these l
Ep. 28 Income Mobility Really Does Exist, Paul Krugman
We managed to dig out some economics from yet another standard Krugman attack on the Republican Party. This time it's his skepticism about the existence of very much income mobility in America. We'll say this: if government programs had the record of succ
Ep. 27 Is Free Trade Good or Bad?
Krugman discusses how economists should respond to the growth in sympathy for protectionism. Along the way, his Keynesian assumptions lead him to oddball conclusions. Bob and Tom also spend some time explaining the classical case for free trade and discus
Ep. 26: Trump, China, Trade, and Currency Manipulation: It's All Here
Krugman says both Trump and Romney get the economics of trade wrong, but as usual, it's Krugman who makes his share of mistakes. With Bob on a lecture tour of Europe, Tom is joined this week by David Howden, chairman of the department of business and econ