Superbowl Sunday 2013

These are the Ravens cheerleaders. No, I haven’t a clue as to who will win the game; it seems to me that the 49’ers are better balanced but you have to respect a team that whipped the Patriots in New England. I give a slight edge to the 49’ers, but again, who knows. In fact, my best advice is to “enjoy the game and NOT bet on it!”

Speaking of football: ask any football fan the following question: “what is the best play to run on 3’rd down.” You’ll get an odd look and an answer “it depends on the situation! “3’rd and 1”? “3’rd and 15”? Score? Field positon? Are you a passing team or a running team? What sort of defense are they in? Etc. Even politically conservative football fans will answer that way.

Why is it so much harder when it comes to the economy?

Paul Krugman writes:

Funny: Angry Bear finds some of the usual suspects explaining How to Debate Paul Krugman, and the answer appears to be this: invent a straw man who bears no resemblance at all to the economist/columnist of the same name, and ridicule that imaginary person.

I have to say, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I could play the role of History’s Greatest Monster to so many people. Thank you for the honor!

Aside from the silliness of the exercise, this little exchange is another illustration of a point I’ve noticed before: the way hard-right commentators assume that the other side must be their mirror image. They insist that no government intervention is ever justified; so liberals must support any and all government interventions. They want smaller government, as a principle; liberals must want bigger government, never mind what for. They believe that deficits and printing money are always evil; liberals must be for deficits and money-printing under all circumstances.

Spending is not ALWAYS the answer; sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.