I think the problem with the Krugman phenomenon is not so much Krugman but the broader progressive movement. Because Krugman has written columns critical of the Bush administration he gets raised to the status of intellectual leader of the progressive movement--by progresives. Krugman came through on a book tour to my city and many progressives promoted his talk as if he were one of them. The danger comes of course because he is not advancing any kind of radical vision of change. By giving him legitimacy it ends up confusing people who then continue to read his work and find out he is for the FTAA and free trade etc. There was a similar problem with the way the left treated Stiglitz.
It is great to have mainstream economists raise critical points about policy, but we need to be clear that these criticisms are limited and that these economists do not share our broader vision or understanding. Said differently the problem is largely rooted in the lack of political clarity in our movement. Given that problem it is not so bad to every once in a while highlight the political limitations of these mainstream critics of mainstream economics.
Marty Hart-Landsberg
The "broader progressive movement" is lacking in political clarity when it comes to the FTAA and free trade, because it is a very politically mixed bag, a dominant component of which in the USA has been protectionist officials of organized labor. If Krugman is not advancing any kind of radical vision of change, neither are "anti-globalization" activists and advocates of industrial policy and strategic trade in the USA, whom Krugman criticizes. -- Yoshie
* Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>
