Paul Krugman: "This Sort Of Thing Can Radicalize You"

[Hissyspit]

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/legends-of-the-rentiers/?smid=tw-NytimesKrugman&seid=auto

- snip -

This isn’t the only case where news organizations consistently report as truth something that didn’t happen, while failing to report what did. Another one that comes to mind is the California electricity crisis of 2001-2002. As some readers may recall, that crisis was caused by market manipulation — and that’s not a hypothesis, Enron traders were caught on tape telling plants to shut down to create artificial shortages. Yet “news analyses” published after the whole thing was revealed would often tell readers that excessive environmental regulation and Nimbyism caused the crisis, with nary a mention of the deliberate creation of shortages.

And as you’ll notice, in both cases the imaginary history just happened to be one more comfortable to status quo interests.

I don’t want to go all Chomsky here, but this sort of thing really can radicalize you.

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[Electric Monk]

1. K&R

&U&G&M&A&N

[ixion]

2. As I've said for years: Enron was a proof-of-concept

and was what Cheney's secret energy task force meetings were all about, and why he won't release the notes.

[Raster]

3. I believe that the invasion of Iraq was discussed long before the

...actual invasion and long before 9/11. And as we know, 9/11 was the supposed reason for invading Iraq.

Another reason the meetings were secret, is to hide the identities of the participants. That way NO ONE CAN BE SUBPOENAED.

[ixion]

5. absolutely it was

there were plans on the table when Poppy Bush illegally invaded Iraq the first time. He apparently didn't have the stomach to implement them, but the war hawks always wanted to go in and "nation build".

[Electric Monk]

6. Iran?

You might want to edit...

[ixion]

8. yeah, changed... my bad.

thanks.

[Raster]

7. So if you follow the trail to it's logical conclusion, cheney* KNEW about both...

..the invasion of Iraq AND 9/11 long before they actually happened!

[Enrique]

4. ah, it's the execrable "Planet Money"

i'm no expert on economics, but every time i hear the cutesy "Planet Money" kids explain something complicated to me, I smell a rat.

[lunatica]

9. LIke people ignoring the fact that the Supreme Court selected Bush

and trashing Gore for losing the election.

Gore ran a poor campaign, that's why he lost

Gore is too stiff and people don't want to have a beer with him, that why he lost.

Always implying that Bush won fair and square because Gore did something wrong.

It really can radicalize you.

[Raster]

11. Or worst of all: It's Nader's fault. Get a clue!

Al Gore was NEVER going to be allowed to be inaugurated. Never.

[xchrom]

10. Aren't the things they do to extract money from the masses radical? Nt

[PETRUS]

12. kick nt

[chill_wind]

13. K & R.

Gross media lies about economic realities really do disturb Baker. He does a good job going after them, especially in WAPO, which is pretty much every day.