Paul Krugman: Paul Ryan ‘Was Never a Man of Substance’

Paul Krugman: Paul Ryan ‘Was Never a Man of Substance’ As opposed to Krugman whom is a man of substance abuse. Unfortunately the substance in question is a never ending supply of money; the creation of which has robbed our paychecks, robbed our bank accounts, dramatically increased our cost of living and fattened all the corporatist cronies to a size even larger than our favorite pudgy little statist loser.

This post was last modified on January 26, 2021

Kip Hooker:

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  • Periodically the news here reports on a house that has been used as a meth lab. Most of them ae not run down shacks. They are nice homes, in average, middle to upper middle class neighborhoods, In variably the neighbors claim to know nothing. It is DANGEROUS not to know your neighbors! Those houses sere so contaminated they could have blown up at the slightest thing and can not be lived in because of the residual crap in the walls. Meth is ugle, makes its users ugly and detroys lives every bit or more than cocaine and heroin. THe Mexica drug cartels ensure we are well supplied.

  • I have never smoked grass, nor indulged in other drugs, but I agree that the penalties for marijuana are unreasonable against the penalties for other drugs ad for selling ANYTHING. As a nurse, I DO believe marijuana is dangerous over the long haul. It has been shown to permantly affect brain development in young users (high school and younger) it has actually been shown to damage chromosomes, and I have seen bright and enthusiastic peole turned into thoughtless blobs whose only thought is when they can get high again. It is indeed a gateway drug, and provides an access point for other drugs with evenmore dangerous sideeffects. It promotes lung cancer faster than cigarettes. I can't say I wanted it decriminalized, but I think the penalties should fit the crime, so to speak.

    • I think that the 'gateway drug' is overplayed. I think that alcohol can be another gateway drug -- gateway drugs depend upon a lot of social things like peer pressure, the thrill of doing something illegal, the attitude of adults who should know better, and the "it didn't kill me, therefore it is harmless" logic.

      Far better to attack it there, or at least assign it a more appropriate priority. What do I think is more dangerous? illegal drugs, or the crime generated by people paying a premium in order to get their illegal drugs?

      If pot was legal, then we could actually make headway by taxing it, regulating it, and seeing to it that juveniles can be protected more. Anybody can buy loose tobacco. You can grow it in your back yard. Since we're lazy as a society and prefer to have it harvested, dried, cut up, and put in little paper tubes with a "filter" that doesn't protect us, we can restrict the sale of tobacco to minors, and adults preserve the cachet of smoking it for themselves for the most part.

      • Alcohol is indeed a gateway drug. And it affect bnehaviour in a negative fashion in many cases. That's was the principle behind prohibition. Men (predominately) were drinking up all the money in the families, leaving the sopuse acn children (who depended pretty much exclusively on the male head of household) were left starving and dirt poor. I refer t marijuana as a gateway drug in that it is an escape from reality. And in a large majority, the high quits beong enough, and they want something more. Since marijuana is illegal, the person selling it is likely selling other, harder drugs as well. And that gives an easy access to those harder drugs. The goal of every dealer is to get customers hooked, so they will do ANYTHING for their next dose.

        • i agree completely about the black market dealer aspect.. The gateway in question is the dealer's door, and he keeps the gate.

          Once a customer is securely and legally obtaining MJ from an reputable establishment, they are no longer repeatedly exposed to the pusher and his illegal drugs.

          I'm not so sure about the high of marijuana leaving a majority wanting more. I simply have no anecdotal experience with this (myself and 2 decades of friends and acquaintances).. Like in all matters, a little moderation is best, and someone with proclivity to overdo it is likely to engage in all kinds of vices where lack of self-discipline is the core issue

          • Again, drugs and alcohol (in excess, particularly) are means of escaping what the individual cannot cope with. The drugs use itself is a symptom. And addictive personality can become addicted to ANYTHING (literall) and will replace one addiction with another. Quit smokein? Become addicted to exercise. Give up candy bars, obsess over the healthy snacks. It happens all around us every day. We just don't hear about it if its a "healthy" obsession (tht may be a contradiction in terms.) THese are the people that move from marijuana to other drugs, always seeking that elusive HIgh that makes their world seem tolerable.

          • maybe for escapists.. I just smoke weed on occasion to make movies better, games better, sex better.. It stretches out time and colors up experiences.. I can write some stellar code with a little high, and I write the WORST CODE EVER if I'm drinking.. So there's a time and season for each

            But I've known the type, too, that smoke it all day and everyday and disappear into their hidey-holes, mired in the dark and frivolous dungeons of internet and popular culture. And i've known tweakers. I would never live anywhere that meth was legal. Its a horrorshow

          • Well, meth isn't legal in Florida, but it seems to be the drug of choice. There are so many freaking tweked out zombies here that you think you're in a Tim Burton movie.

      • I always looked down on the gateway argument. I've seen that gateway fail so many stoners. I don't understand how such a mechanism would work.

        However, THE DEALER is a perfect gateway. He'll shine you onto other drugs, if he's selling. Its just like going to 7/11 to buy ciggies, and walking out with Snickers and Red Bull.. When i quit smoking cigarettes years ago, i saved a lot of money on candy bars too

        Legalization removes those encounters with Dealers pushing other drugs

        • I get the feeling that the only way it is a gateway drug is when young people try if for themselves and then conclude "This isn't what they said it was. I'm not addicted. Wonder what else they are lying to me about."

          Now personally I'll stick with the occasional bourbon or scotch. But to each his/her own and I don't see how it is the business of the government to stop adults from making adult choices. But . . . JMHO.

          • I like to hit the sauce now and then too..but drastically cut down in order to quit nicotine years ago. The combo was brutal, in terms of willpower

        • Me, I don't have a problem with people going down to Walgreen's to buy a Coke with coke, so to speak. Prohibition has been a stellar example of what happens when you outlaw what people want. Better to regulate it. If coke, for example, becomes something you can buy cheap down at the store, then there's no appeal for it as a social dividing line. I'd like to see all the dealers go legit. That'd save a lot of crime right there.

          However, in our litigious society, this will never happen. I can see the ambulance chasers going after the makers of said substances rather than going after the users who indulge unwisely.

  • i got a bone to pick with Romney campaign now.. Ryan properly stated that marijuana issues should be left to the states, while here in CO (as you know, we all sleep on beds of weed in Denver).. Then Romney campaign made him walk it back.

    Much vexed my friends

          • I've never even considered the idea of smoking pot. Not even once. But, as a Libertarian, I see no reason that others shouldn't be able to do what they want, as long as it doesn't affect society in a detrimental way. How often do you see news of someone killing an entire family driving high, as opposed to driving drunk?

          • It's been over 30 years for me, but I agree.
            I also agree that I wish Ryan was at the top of the ticket, but we will have to wait 8 years for that to happen.

          • @ PJ49

            Well if I had my way there would be a Paul at top but it would be the Senator from Kentucky. But I guess Rand will just have to wait a bit longer.

    • I have to agree with you. I'd rather Ryan was on top of the ticket. Romney pays too much attention to the focus groups, and not enough to the Constitution.

  • Krugman is a man of substance abuse, the "substance" being failed economic theory. In addition, he's not an independent economist, he's a Democrat hack.

  • "Nobel Prize-winning New York Times columnist"
    Well, there's yer problem right there.

    No substance. As opposed to Sock Puppet, who is a man of many substances, all abused.

  • Krugman has never put his ideas into action, he lives in a thearetical world & suffers no consiquences from his cock-ups.

    Krugman is a worthless piece of crap.

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