One of the people who I greatly admire is Dr. Paul Krugman - he is an economist who has demonstrated a level of integrity and intellectual honesty that is rarely found. Furthermore, he's been brave enough to go beyond being an academic and has worked tirelessly to criticize bad public policy in a way that is widely accessible.
We need more Krugmans in this world. We need more people who really think about things, who can really identify problems and analyze them, and who are brave enough to voice their thoughts to the wider world. We need more thoughtful dissenters who refuse to go with the flow when evidence says that there's something wrong.
So when you see a Krugman - be thankful for the work that they do. It's not easy work, saying what doesn't want to be heard but needs to be said. They identify the problems and make solving those problems possible - and that work is immensely valuable and does affect change. Support the Krugman's you know, and encourage them. Without them our world would be a much lesser place.
This is totally unrelated to this post (although now that I think about it, I totally agree), but I saw an awesome comment you made on the Skeptical OB (I'm Areawoman over there) post about the Homebirth Consensus Summit, where you listed the seven "consensus statements" and explained why they each did nothing, and I was wondering if you would consider turning it into a guest post at www.10centimeters.com. Let me know!
ReplyDeleteAhh, I forgot to mention...if you're interested, you can email me at 10centimetersblog at gmail dot com.
ReplyDeleteI think Canada needs several KADS chapters!!
ReplyDeleteIt's very hard to be a Krugman. You need to be financially independent, or at least secure; you need to be a true expert and up on the necessary facts; you need a pulpit -- you need to be able to reach others.
And as great as Krugman is (and he is my number 1 Hero), look at how little influence he has with policy makers and opinion shapers. He has been demonstrably right, over and over and over, for years on end, and still he and his arguments are dismissed. He wins a Nobel prize, and still the belittlement continues.
Obama should have been consulting him, using him as a senior economic advisor to guide his appointments and policies, but he didn't. And now look at what's happening... Krugman predicted much of this 2 years ago. Like I posted elsewhere today, it is like watching a tragedy in slow motion and being unable to stop it.
Anyways, let's lift a toast to Paul Krugman! May policy makers at last heed his wisdom. (He's in Germany today; maybe he can knock some sense in them! Stranger things have happened... )
Yes - a pint of Guiness in his honor. If only all experts had the same courage....
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