Krugman has a funny blog today...calls himself a "dirty old man"

[CTyankee]

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/life-in-belle-epoque-america/#commentsContainer

cute blog and link to an interesting article on the "courtesan class."

What has Dr. K been reading lately...

[malthaussen]

1. Then there was Lola...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lola_Montez

One of her favorite quotes: "I want to live before I die."

-- Mal

[CTyankee]

2. the edwardians were great...too bad it was such a short lived era...about 9 years...

[jollyreaper2112]

3. not sure what your point is

Do you disagree with his comment?

The Atlantic has an article about a website that sets up “mutually beneficial relationships” between wealthy older men and college students. Yes, it’s prurient, and I’m probably a dirty old man for even linking to it — although what really caught my eye was just how closely reality echoes Woody Allen’s (speaking of dirty old men) story “The Whore of Mensa“.

But there is some economics here too. Thomas Piketty tells us that we’re living in a new Belle Epoque — and he’s right, in some ways contemporary society feels more like that era than the cruder, more hypocritical American Gilded Age — and one thing extreme inequality brings is, yes, a courtesan class.

I think this is an astute observation. If there were more equality, more social mobility, these women would not need to be paid companions. Patronage is required in any system where merit alone is insufficient.

[CTyankee]

4. No, I agree totally with his point. I was just commenting on the fact that I've never seen him take

up this particular instance of the consequences of income inequality.

And I'm ESPECIALLY glad to see he sees Woody Allen as I do...I remember that we here at DU had an epic uproar over the revelations of Mia Farrow's daughter about Woody Allen in a NYT op ed a while back.

[jollyreaper2112]

5. ok I see

I'm not one to go around calling people perverts for having differing sexual tastes from me but Woody Allen always struck me as someone who was able to monetize his lechery, mining it for movie material, the same way Richard Pryor was able to monetize his demons for comedy. Pryor I think was more honest about it and more genuine. Allen just always gave me the creeps. Gee, imagine how odd this is, a significantly underattractive and older man is fawned over by an incomprehensible number of attractive younger women. I know, it's so odd! Let me make movies about it.

There's comments that have been made about how no matter how benevolent the master, when he is a master, there can be no equality. Equality only exists between equals.

[CTyankee]

6. and molesting one's stepdaughter is up there with the cardinal sins...