March 23, 2004
Krugman...truth...a hopeless struggle
The Krugman Truth Squad is going to start passing on Krug's non-economic columns. Makes sense, they are a bunch of economists!
And I thought about giving today's Krug column a working over, but why bother? Every point he makes has already been refuted many times. The Bush-haters who read him don't care about facts...
I'll just whack one mole, to keep in practice. Krugman writes:
...After 9/11, the administration's secretiveness knew no limits — Americans, Ari Fleischer ominously warned, "need to watch what they say, watch what they do." Patriotic citizens were supposed to accept the administration's version of events, not ask awkward questions...Well, you can read the transcript with Fleisher's remark here.
It's obvious from the context that Fleisher is responding to being baited by reporters about a truly vile remark by a left-wing America-hating scumbag, who called our soldiers cowards compared to the brave 9/11 terrorists. And it's clear that if Fleisher had had his 'druthers he would have responded with a well-deserved punch in the nose. He obviously wasn't making a blanket threat to Free Speech, or quoting any sort of prepared position.
Fleisher concludes: "This is not a time for remarks like that; there never is." And he's correct! And if asked, he would have added that we have Freedom of Speech, and the slimeball was free to say what he did. But it was still wrong! And it was perfectly proper for Fleishman to say that it was wrong.
