I *Heart* Paul Krugman

OK, I'm breaking my solemn oath ("Fuck The Times", December 19, 2005) by linking to the New York Times, but I love Paul Krugman for columns like this. I'm sorry, you won't be able to read it in its entirety unless you're a TimesSelectserf, but here are the highlights*:

State of Delusion

So President Bush's plan to reduce imports of Middle East oil turns out to be no more substantial than his plan — floated two years ago, then flushed down the memory hole — to send humans to Mars.

But what did you expect? After five years in power, the Bush administration is still — perhaps more than ever — run by Mayberry Machiavellis, who don't take the business of governing seriously.

Mayberry Machiavellis! Barney Fife! Goober Pyle! Howard! Aunt Bee! I can see their faces superimposed on BushCheneyRumsfieldRice.

In other words, this administration is all politics and no policy. It knows how to attain power, but has no idea how to govern. That's why the administration was caught unaware when Katrina hit, and why it was totally unprepared for the predictable problems with its drug plan. It's why Mr. Bush announced an energy plan with no substance behind it. And it's why the state of the union — the thing itself, not the speech — is so grim.

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