"An Unserious Man" by Paul Krugman at the NY Times
An Unserious Man
by Paul Krugman at the NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/opinion/krugman-an-unserious-man.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
"SNIP.............................................
............What Mr. Ryan actually offers, then, are specific proposals that would sharply increase the deficit, plus an assertion that he has secret tax and spending plans that he refuses to share with us, but which will turn his overall plan into deficit reduction.
If this sounds like a joke, thats because it is. Yet Mr. Ryans plan has been treated with great respect in Washington. He even received an award for fiscal responsibility from three of the leading deficit-scold pressure groups. Whats going on?
The answer, basically, is a triumph of style over substance. Over the longer term, the Ryan plan would end Medicare as we know it and in Washington, fiscal responsibility is often equated with willingness to slash Medicare and Social Security, even if the purported savings would be used to cut taxes on the rich rather than to reduce deficits. Also, self-proclaimed centrists are always looking for conservatives they can praise to showcase their centrism, and Mr. Ryan has skillfully played into that weakness, talking a good game even if his numbers dont add up.
The question now is whether Mr. Ryans undeserved reputation for honesty and fiscal responsibility can survive his participation in a deeply dishonest and irresponsible presidential campaign.
..................................SNIP"