Yes. Always.

With "real economics" like this recent gem:

"Our increased deficit is driven by one thing - anticipated health care increases."

Yep. Pure, "real" economics...




The guy should be taken out and shot to put him out of his misery.

I remember once upon a time, his writing was somewhat more intriguing - Lately he seems to be on some kind of acid trip. It sounds as if he's found his calling in debunking common sense.

What the fuck are you talking about, Knife? And Josef? Acid trip? He's one of the most prominent voices for reason - and that's around the world, where these stupid governments are hurting their economies with unnecessary austerity measures.

Note that he's 100% right about health costs - but also note that that's not what he said. What he said is that health costs will be the biggest thing driving future deficits; we need to get them under control.

That is a fact, and if you'd like I'd be happy to find other sources confirming it.

See below.



No. He's not.

He's largely (and correctly) regarded now as an extremist with a clear agenda that forces him to editorialize and avoid/manipulate the facts.

A well educated guy that, like many before him, has kind of gone off riding into the sunset rambling on about his pet issues while the rest of the world watches, waves bye-bye and thinks: "What a waste."

Seriously. No one is listening to him, anymore. He has ZERO influence. For good reason, now.



Yeah...

As I asked about this when he orginally posted that blog (to deafening silence, I noted):

So all of the budget projections that foretell of deficits are driven by JUST ONE THING: rising health care costs?

No wars.

No government spending on military buildup.

No government spending on agriculture.

No infrastructure.

No trade imbalance.

No bailouts.

No stimulus packages.

No reduction in tax revenue (yeah, watch that one...).

None of that.

Just anticipated increases in health care costs. That's it.

Health and Human Services is the largest single item, but it's followed very closely by military spending and then several others. It's not even half of the deficit - now or projected - by anyone.

That's just plain bullshit.

Fuck off, Knife.



You're just an idiot.

Yep.

Dumb enough to know that health care costs - a single Federal expense that NEVER exceeds 1/3 of our total expenditure/defit, even in the most damning estimates - can't POSSIBLY be the reason "troubling long-run budget projections, are not driven by some generalized problem of overspending. Instead, they largely reflect just one thing: the assumption that health care costs will rise."

Yeah, I'm an idiot, like that.

So, are you still "happy to find other sources confirming" that?


Yeah, I didn't think so...

Sorry, I should have said you're a major league professional idiot, not just an idiot.

Thanks for that.

So, what kind of an idiot is it that thinks a guy who baldly suggests that 33% of a total deficit is the "one thing that is driving that deficit," is a a genius, that is making pure sense?

You know, the type of idiot that can't respond to that simple observation and STILL can't supply the "other sources confirming that" that he said he would "happily" provide.

The type of idiot that spews on and on - loudly, confidently and COMPLETELY INCORRECTLY - about things that he has know knowledge or comprehension of.

The type of idiot that consistently gives us all a good chuckle in here.

What type of idiot is that, again?


Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Hahahahaha

Hahahaha!

Ahem....



You've again, made some great points in this thread, Nick!

*snicker*

So it's the largest single item, driving one third of the deficit, but he was an idiot for claiming it is the biggest single thing driving the deficit? I didn't read the article, but what are you guys arguing about, the words "the one thing"?

That's what Knife does: pick up a word or two and make a federal case out of it, ignoring the point.

By the way, this is not something Krugman pulled out of his ass. The one thing we need to get under control is healthcare costs. If we do that and not a whole lot else, the projections are that we'll be fine. It's true: we don't need to dismantle Social Security and eliminate public education.