1
Arts
Bystanders, Not So Innocent
“Some Were Neighbors: Collaboration & Complicity in the Holocaust” features details from people who witnessed the slaughter and persecution in Nazi Germany.
2
Health
Boston Victims Face Long Path to Recovery
Many of the over 260 people injured in the Boston Marathon bombings suffered complex wounds that will require several more operations.
3
N.Y. / Region
Westchester Leader Acts on a Fair-Housing Bill
Robert P. Astorino, the Westchester County executive, had vetoed a similar bill but was threatened with personal fines by the Justice Department.
4
Science
Playing for All Kinds of Possibilities
Studies of children are looking at how they let their imagination run free to make and find unlikely connections.
5
Business Day
Slow Start on Environment in Second Obama Term
Three cabinet-level agencies that address climate change and energy will have new leaders.
6
Opinion
Are Myanmar’s Hopes Fading?
Anti-Muslim violence is no accident but the product of an effort led by army hard-liners to thwart both reforms and Myanmar’s opening to the outside world.
7
U.S.
In Midwest, Drought Gives Way to Flood
Flooding, driven in part by rainfall of as much as eight inches in some places last week, has affected a remarkably wide area.
8
Health
Eggs, Too, May Provoke Bacteria to Raise Heart Risk
Investigators who found that eating meat can increase heart disease risk because of the actions of intestinal bacteria now say the same thing happens with lecithin, abundant in egg yolks.
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Business Day
Starving the Beast
How the government sector is contracting, as measured by gross domestic product.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pogo_-_Earth_Day_1971_poster.jpg
Paul Krugman:
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12 Comments
The Ignoramus Strategy
A while back Noah Smith
described one common strategy for arguing against Keynesian economics,
and yours truly in particular: “Relentlessly pretend to be an ignorant
simpleton.” Of course, as always, this strategy is most effective if you
aren’t pretending, and really are an ignorant simpleton.
Which brings me to this rant by Ken Langone, in which he answers my arguments by saying,
Anyway, this wounds my vanity. I like to imagine that I’m pretty good at making economic arguments as simple as possible, and stating them in plain English. True, I never get to the simplicity of “People are having to tighten their belts, so the government should tighten its belt too.” But that’s because the world isn’t that simple, and some lines sound good but are just wrong.
Now, I don’t know if Langone is really as dumb as he sounds; my guess is, probably not — the attempt to sound like a regular guy, while actually sounding like an actor in a 1950s B-movie, is a giveaway. Still, maybe this is an occasion to restate what is really going on in the economy, and why I advocate the things I do.
So, in order:
1. The economy isn’t like an individual family that earns a certain amount and spends some other amount, with no relationship between the two. My spending is your income and your spending is my income. If we both slash spending, both of our incomes fall.
2. We are now in a situation in which many people have cut spending, either because they chose to or because their creditors forced them to, while relatively few people are willing to spend more. The result is depressed incomes and a depressed economy, with millions of willing workers unable to find jobs.
3. Things aren’t always this way, but when they are, the government is not in competition with the private sector. Government purchases don’t use resources that would otherwise be producing private goods, they put unemployed resources to work. Government borrowing doesn’t crowd out private borrowing, it puts idle funds to work. As a result, now is a time when the government should be spending more, not less. If we ignore this insight and cut government spending instead, the economy will shrink and unemployment will rise. In fact, even private spending will shrink, because of falling incomes.
4. This view of our problems has made correct predictions over the past four years, while alternative views have gotten it all wrong. Budget deficits haven’t led to soaring interest rates (and the Fed’s “money-printing” hasn’t led to inflation); austerity policies have greatly deepened economic slumps almost everywhere they have been tried.
5. Yes, the government must pay its bills in the long run. But spending cuts and/or tax increases should wait until the economy is no longer depressed, and the private sector is willing to spend enough to produce full employment.
Is this impossibly complicated? I don’t think so. Now, I suppose that someone like Langone will just respond that it’s all gibberish he can’t understand. But unless he really is stupid, which as I said I doubt, that’s only because he doesn’t want to understand."
Which brings me to this rant by Ken Langone, in which he answers my arguments by saying,
Let’s stop all this crap with all of these high fallutin’ thoughts and ideas. You know what happens to people their eyes glaze over, I don’t know what the hell he’s saying.This may, by the way, be the first time I’ve ever heard anyone say “high fallutin” outside of an old Western.
Anyway, this wounds my vanity. I like to imagine that I’m pretty good at making economic arguments as simple as possible, and stating them in plain English. True, I never get to the simplicity of “People are having to tighten their belts, so the government should tighten its belt too.” But that’s because the world isn’t that simple, and some lines sound good but are just wrong.
Now, I don’t know if Langone is really as dumb as he sounds; my guess is, probably not — the attempt to sound like a regular guy, while actually sounding like an actor in a 1950s B-movie, is a giveaway. Still, maybe this is an occasion to restate what is really going on in the economy, and why I advocate the things I do.
So, in order:
1. The economy isn’t like an individual family that earns a certain amount and spends some other amount, with no relationship between the two. My spending is your income and your spending is my income. If we both slash spending, both of our incomes fall.
2. We are now in a situation in which many people have cut spending, either because they chose to or because their creditors forced them to, while relatively few people are willing to spend more. The result is depressed incomes and a depressed economy, with millions of willing workers unable to find jobs.
3. Things aren’t always this way, but when they are, the government is not in competition with the private sector. Government purchases don’t use resources that would otherwise be producing private goods, they put unemployed resources to work. Government borrowing doesn’t crowd out private borrowing, it puts idle funds to work. As a result, now is a time when the government should be spending more, not less. If we ignore this insight and cut government spending instead, the economy will shrink and unemployment will rise. In fact, even private spending will shrink, because of falling incomes.
4. This view of our problems has made correct predictions over the past four years, while alternative views have gotten it all wrong. Budget deficits haven’t led to soaring interest rates (and the Fed’s “money-printing” hasn’t led to inflation); austerity policies have greatly deepened economic slumps almost everywhere they have been tried.
5. Yes, the government must pay its bills in the long run. But spending cuts and/or tax increases should wait until the economy is no longer depressed, and the private sector is willing to spend enough to produce full employment.
Is this impossibly complicated? I don’t think so. Now, I suppose that someone like Langone will just respond that it’s all gibberish he can’t understand. But unless he really is stupid, which as I said I doubt, that’s only because he doesn’t want to understand."
9
N.Y. / Region
New York Coastal Communities Worry Whether Tourists Will Come
Many restaurants and other businesses still closed since Hurricane Sandy, in places like Sheepshead Bay, Red Hook and the Rockaways, are concerned about the coming season.
10
World
36 Killed in Fire at Russian Hospital
Most of the victims were patients at a psychiatric hospital outside Moscow who were confined to the building because of their mental ailments.
11
Opinion
The Safety of Chemicals
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates says there is no cause for alarm.
12
Health
Obesity Tied to Prostate Cancer Risk
A new study has found that obesity may increase the risk for future prostate cancer.
12
U.S.
Dissent Arises on Panel Set Up to Create Communication Network for First Responders
An Iowa sheriff says the dominance of telecommunications interests is harming the credibility of the group.
14
Opinion
Study on Hospital Mistakes
The American Hospital Association responds to a news article about a JAMA study.
13
Fashion & Style
On One Phone App, Looks Are Everything
On Tinder, a superficial sort of dating app, all that you see is someone’s photo.
14
Technology
Tap a Word in a Sentence Three Times and It’s Yours
When faced with unfamiliar words, smartphone and tablet users can look them up in a variety of dictionary apps.
16
Opinion
Sustaining Cities on a Crowding Planet
Mayors, builders and others discuss urban options for energy, resilient design, and more on a crowding planet.
17
U.S.
Explosions on River in Alabama Injure 3
A series of explosions on Wednesday on two fuel barges on the Mobile River caused a fire that burned into Thursday morning and forced the evacuation of a nearby cruise ship.
18
U.S.
Gay Marriage Measure Advances in Rhode Island
A Senate panel took a step toward joining nine other states on a measure approving same-sex marriage.
19
World
Mexican Teacher Protests Turn Up Heat on President
Members of the teachers’ union in Guerrero State showed their anger, and in some cases turned violent, over President Enrique Peña Nieto’s plan to overhaul the education system.
19
Opinion
Corporate Donations and the S.E.C.
Forcing publicly traded corporations to disclose their political donations to their shareholders would be an enormous step toward addressing political corruption.
20
N.Y. / Region
A Watchdog That Isn’t Watched
The Business Integrity Commission’s no-bid contract to analyze security at the Hunts Point Produce Market went to a company whose head has had multiple arrests.
1
World
Should Gun Restrictions Be Placed on Veterans With PTSD?
A Marine Corps veteran turned journalist explores the contentious issue of whether veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder should be allowed to possess firearms.
2
U.S.
Redistricting Likely to Hamper Democratic Efforts in 2014, Study Finds
A new study found that, because of redistricting, even a dramatic wave election for Democrats would do little to alter the composition of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
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5
Business Day
Starving the Beast
How the government sector is contracting, as measured by gross domestic product.
6
Health
Eggs, Too, May Provoke Bacteria to Raise Heart Risk
Investigators who found that eating meat can increase heart disease risk because of the actions of intestinal bacteria now say the same thing happens with lecithin, abundant in egg yolks.
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9
Opinion
The Safety of Chemicals
10
Business Day
Your Agenda for 'Fiscal Health Day'
The Your Money columnist Tara Siegel Bernard visited with a newlywed couple to help them tackle their financial to-do list.
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13
Autos
Attack of the Curly Floor Mats: Subaru Issues Recall
Subaru plans to recall 10,000 Foresters over potentially pedal-obstructing floor mats, and Schneider Electric USA, a maker of E.V. chargers, is calling back charging units with potentially defective connectors.
14
Opinion
Study on Hospital Mistakes
The American Hospital Association responds to a news article about a JAMA study.
15
Opinion
Sustaining Cities on a Crowding Planet
Mayors, builders and others discuss urban options for energy, resilient design, and more on a crowding planet.
16
U.S.
Explosions on River in Alabama Injure 3
A series of explosions on Wednesday on two fuel barges on the Mobile River caused a fire that burned into Thursday morning and forced the evacuation of a nearby cruise ship.
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18
Fashion & Style
On One Phone App, Looks Are Everything
On Tinder, a superficial sort of dating app, all that you see is someone’s photo.
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