Podcasts by Contra Krugman
Join Bob Murphy and Tom Woods in this weekly libertarian podcast as they teach economics by refuting Paul Krugman's New York Times column. Plus, expect special guests like Ron Paul, David Stockman, and more!
Further podcasts by Bob Murphy and Tom Woods
Podcast on the topic Wirtschaftsnachrichten
All episodes
Ep. 225 The Final Episode from 2020-06-10T16:00
On this final episode of Contra Krugman after nearly five years, we analyze Krugman's horrified response to state reopenings after the lockdowns.
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Ep. 224 Krugman Bravely Comes Out Against Killing Workers from 2020-05-23T16:00
With his usual magnanimity, Krugman declares that the epidemiologists have been completely accurate in their warnings during the pandemic, whereas those who want to reopen the economy are trying...
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Ep. 223 Krugman Unwittingly Agrees the Fed Has Driven Stock Market Since 2007 from 2020-05-11T17:08:17
In his attempt to praise Powell and criticize Trump, Krugman admits that the "real economy" is in terrible shape, and that the stock market has done well only because of low interest rates and t...
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Ep. 222 Why Won't We Listen to the Experts? from 2020-04-26T03:00
Krugman is unhappy that the "right wing" is more apt to listen to people he considers quacks than to people he considers experts, and he says the COVID-19 problem is yet another example. We are ...
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Ep. 221 The Destructive Coronavirus Response, Cheered by Krugman from 2020-04-11T22:23:34
Guest co-host Richard Ebeling -- who was one of Bob's own economics professors -- joins me to discuss Krugman's qualified support for the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill recently signed into...
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Ep. 220 Coronavirus Economics from 2020-03-29T03:00
This episode delves into all the key questions surrounding the economics of the coronavirus crisis: bailouts, Federal Reserve policy, payments to individuals, the effects of the shutdown, and mo...
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Ep. 219 Krugman Wants Perpetual Deficits from 2020-03-14T20:00
In a perhaps surprising move for someone who said "deficits matter again" upon Trump's election, Krugman now makes the case for perpetual budget deficits in the range of 4% of GDP. This will fac...
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Ep. 218 We Need Financial Regulation, Says Krugman from 2020-03-01T03:00
What really matters, says Krugman, is financial regulation. And only Elizabeth Warren can deliver, because Bernie will expend his political capital on unwinnable issues, and Bloomberg's heart is...
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Ep. 217 Do Deficits Help Depressed Economies? from 2020-02-16T00:00
Krugman complains that during the Obama years, when deficit spending was desperately needed, obstructionist Republicans opposed it out of what they claimed was principle, but was mere spite. Now...
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Ep. 216 Krugman Hearts Greta Thunberg from 2020-02-03T04:00
Krugman says Greta Thunberg is closer the economics mainstream than are her critics. Quite a few whoppers to deal with in this one, as you can surely imagine.
Ep. 215 Don't Worry About the Deficit! from 2020-01-19T04:00
That's Krugman's message now. Interestingly, back in 2003 the very indicators he's now using to tell us not to worry were actually less pronounced, and yet back then he was warning of a "fiscal ...
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Ep. 214 Austerity Is Just What the World's Economies Needed from 2020-01-06T02:42
Krugman blames the "austerity" that began a decade ago for ensuing economic ills and political instability. This is a fashionable enough view, but the evidence against it is more or less overwhe...
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Ep. 213 Trump's Tariff War a Flop? from 2019-12-23T05:15:14
Although details are still emerging, a deal has evidently been reached between China and the United States regarding trade. Did Trump accomplish anything (from his standpoint)? Was the whole thi...
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Ep. 212 Trump, Crony Capitalism, and Impeachment from 2019-12-07T16:00
We discuss the impeachment, Krugman's selective praise for whistleblowers, and what the correct approach to the problem of "crony capitalism" should be.
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Ep. 211 LIVE FROM VIENNA: Is Europe an Example for the U.S.? from 2019-11-25T06:25:01
We recorded this episode before a live audience at -- of all places -- the Austrian central bank in Vienna, where the Austrian Economics Center held a two-day academic conference. We respond to ...
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Ep. 210 Elizabeth Warren's Fiscal Fantasies from 2019-11-09T04:47:05
Krugman is impressed by the detail and alleged seriousness of Elizabeth Warren's Medicare for All plan and how it will be paid for. Bob and Tom, by contrast, are not so impressed.
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Ep. 209 Robots Aren't the Problem from 2019-10-27T03:00
Krugman criticizes Democrats who think automation is behind American job losses. But just when he's sounding sensible, he jumps back into "inadequate spending" being the problem.
Ep. 208 Debt Is Money We Owe to Ourselves, Idiot! from 2019-10-13T03:00
We got a lot of requests for an episode on debt after Krugman tweeted that "debt is money we owe to ourselves." What's the real truth?
Show n...
Ep. 207 Krugman Embraces Warren, Discards Economics from 2019-10-05T16:00
Historian and podcast host Brion McClanahan joins Bob to discuss Krugman's defense of Elizabeth Warren against the big bad plutocrats, who apparently are threatening to support Trump if she's th...
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Ep. 206 Are You Deranged for Opposing Regulation? from 2019-09-21T20:00
Krugman says people on the political right get inordinately worked up over minor regulations that have a clear public benefit, and that such people now have a champion in the White House. Could ...
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Ep. 205 Is This Evidence of an Authoritarian Regime? from 2019-09-14T18:00
Krugman argues that an undemocratic, authoritarian regime is being built in the United States, and cites Sharpiegate and Trump's treatment of the auto industry as prime examples.
Ep. 204 Krugman's Worst Blunders from 2019-09-08T00:00
We take listener questions in this episode, from Krugman's worst blunders, to how the Fed might return interest rates to their natural level, to a former Fed official's implication that the Fede...
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Ep. 203 Deeper Economic Analysis of Slavery, Free Trade vs. Welfare, and Debt Repudiation from 2019-08-31T14:30
Because Krugman is a bore, Tom and Bob field questions from the listeners. They handle objections about their recent arguments concerning the economics of slavery, clear up apparent contradictio...
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Ep. 202 David Stockman on Western Regimes Entering Cuckoo Land from 2019-08-23T20:00
David Stockman, director of the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan, joins Tom (Bob is on vacation) to explain what's really happening with the current inverted yield curve, as w...
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Ep. 201 The White Nationalist Hoax from 2019-08-17T15:00
The ordinarily serene Bob Murphy is genuinely outraged in this episode, in which we cover Krugman's casual claim that Donald Trump is trying to establish an "authoritarian, white nationalist reg...
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Ep. 200 Krugman on Bonds&Uncertainty: Interesting, But Still Wrong from 2019-08-10T20:30
Bob minds the store and explains what is interesting about Krugman's discussion on bonds vs. stocks as ways to forecast recession, how an inverted yield curve signals problems, and the precise w...
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Ep. 199 Krugman: Trump's Tax Cuts Make the 1% -- and Rich Foreigners -- Richer from 2019-08-03T20:30
Krugman says that since Trump's tax cuts amounted to nothing but a giveaway to wealthy shareholders, and since many of those are foreigners, the tax cuts amounted to a perverse foreign aid progr...
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Ep. 198 Should We Prevent the Rich from Living Longer? from 2019-07-26T16:00
In an "op-ed from the future," Krugman speculates about a world in which "the rich" have access to life-extending technology. Should they be allowed to have it if not everyone can afford it? Thi...
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Ep. 197 Is Privatization (Including Prisons) Expensive and Evil? from 2019-07-21T00:30
Krugman suggests that although it makes sense for much of the economy to be in private hands, there are some sectors where private control would yield perverse results. He devotes particular att...
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Ep. 196 There Aren't Any Socialists in the Democratic Party? from 2019-07-10T21:00
There aren't any real socialists running in the Democratic Party, says Krugman, because none of them want to abolish private ownership of the means of production. Republicans level the accusatio...
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Ep. 195 Trump Demands Lower Interest Rates; Krugman's Head Explodes from 2019-06-28T15:00
Krugman is horrified at Trump's pressure on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. Yet he thinks a case can be made for doing precisely that. What is Krugman to do?
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Ep. 194 Elizabeth Warren Has Some Great Ideas from 2019-06-22T19:00
Krugman is very impressed by Elizabeth Warren, who he thinks has a whole bunch of very good, detailed policy proposals. This is precisely what the world needs more of, he says: public policy pro...
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Ep. 193 How Dare Trump Criticize Britain's National Health Service from 2019-06-15T15:00
Krugman is horrified that Donald Trump has been critical of the National Health Service (NHS) in Britain. Why, the NHS is doing a great job! We put Krugman's arguments under a microscope.
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Ep. 192 Your Deepest Questions About the Fed Answered from 2019-06-08T03:00
We do another Q&A episode this week, a good portion of which revolves around the Federal Reserve: the best ways to undermine it, how we might transition away from it, whether a reckoning has to ...
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Ep. 191 Krugman Admits Hurting Trump Better Than Helping the Country, When It Comes to Infrastructure from 2019-06-03T03:30
Bob flies solo to point out a shocking admission in Krugman's column: He actually thinks Democrats are lucky that Trump backed out of an infrastructure deal, even though Krugman also believes th...
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Ep. 190 Universal Basic Income, Trade Deficits, and Other Areas of Confusion from 2019-05-25T14:30
Bob and Tom take some outstanding and very important and helpful listener questions in this episode, such as: what is one legitimate contribution a Keynesian has made? Can trade deficits be bad?...
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Ep. 189 The Truth About Trump and the Tariffs from 2019-05-19T21:47:43
The issue of international trade is not a simple one of a difference of opinion: Trump genuinely appears not to understand the subject. We sort it all out in this episode.
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Ep. 188 Trump's Economy Proves Keynesianism is Right, Says Krugman from 2019-05-10T20:00
After having predicted that the election of Trump would lead to economic hard times as far as the eye could see, Krugman's new line is that of course the economy is strong: federal deficits have...
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Ep. 187 It's OK for Bernie to Be Rich Because He's Not Evil from 2019-05-05T03:00
Krugman addresses the claim that Bernie Sanders, who until recently had been railing against "millionaires and billionaires," is a hypocrite since he's now a millionaire himself. Krugman proceed...
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Ep. 186 Krugman Finally Mentions Mueller -- and It's Straight Outta Orwell from 2019-04-28T01:00
Had the Mueller report truly vindicated Krugman, we can be certain his victory-lap column would have come swiftly. Now that he's finally gotten around to mentioning it after a curious delay, he'...
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Ep. 185 David Stockman Joins Us to Shred Economist's Love Letter to the Fed from 2019-04-23T03:00
Greg Mankiw, a professor of economics at Harvard, wrote an article for the New York Times urging America to preserve the Federal Reserve he loves. And what is that? A nonpolitical, nonpartisan, ...
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Ep. 184 What Is Trump Doing to the Fed? from 2019-04-14T01:30
Krugman is very unhappy about the nominations of Stephen Moore and Herman Cain to the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. (Cain's nomination now seems likely to be abortive.) Krugman devotes p...
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Ep. 183 Contra Ocasio-Cortez from 2019-04-06T22:30
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the controversial left-wing member of Congress, got into a Twitter war when she observed that a mere croissant at La Guardia Airport goes for $7, yet some people think ...
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Ep. 182 Hooray for the Minimum Wage? How Economists Went Off Track from 2019-03-30T19:30
In paying his respects to the recently deceased Alan Krueger, author of the widely discussed 1994 Card-Krueger study on the minimum wage, Krugman praises him for changing the way economists thin...
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Ep. 181 Don't Blame Robots for Low Wages from 2019-03-23T02:07:32
Krugman starts off more or less all right in this one, arguing that robots aren't the reason wages aren't higher. But then he goes off into cloud cuckoo land, blaming the problem on a decline in...
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Ep. 180 Are We Full of Irrational Rage? (This One's a Doozy) from 2019-03-16T00:00
Krugman can't get over the stupid things his opponents get upset about, and how full of irrational rage they are -- quite unlike today's left, you understand.
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Ep. 179 How to Defeat a Smear Attack Against You from 2019-03-09T17:00
This week, although we do cover Krugman a bit, we use a recent Caitlin Johnstone article as a springboard for discussion. With social media and traditional media in swarm mode against perpetrato...
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Ep. 178 Let's Socialize the Family, Say Warren and Krugman from 2019-03-04T01:09:31
This week Krugman endorses Elizabeth Warren's plan for subsidized child care at the federal level. It's so cheap, and it would help so many people! Meh.
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Ep. 177 Semi-Sensible Krugman vs. Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) from 2019-02-23T17:03:10
Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) is picking up steam (thanks to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders), to the point that even Krugman is alarmed. Yes, he says, you will have to raise taxes to...
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Ep. 176 Trump vs. Socialism? from 2019-02-14T22:00
Socialism isn't all that radical, insists Krugman. Plus: virtually all people who call themselves socialists just want to be like Denmark, not Venezuela or the Soviet Union. They just want poor ...
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Ep. 175 The Free Market: Unpopular Without Racism from 2019-02-08T01:00
Krugman says nobody really supports free-market (what he calls "conservative") economics. Racists tolerate it because it's the only way they can get their racism fix; the Republicans, who give t...
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Ep. 174 They Are Really Coming After the Rich from 2019-02-02T17:55:03
The proposals to tax the rich much more heavily are coming fast and furious from Democratic presidential candidates. We examine the ideas and so-called economics behind it all.
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Ep. 173 The Case for One-Third Communism from 2019-01-26T16:00
Krugman says that the case for putting the government directly in charge of approximately one-third of the economy is very strong. We're not so sure it's quite so strong.
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Ep. 172 The Government Shutdown: A Big Libertarian Experiment? from 2019-01-19T19:59:23
Krugman points out that even though Republicans have been calling for limited government for as long as anyone can remember, now that the federal government shutdown is upon us they're desperate...
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Ep. 171 The Economics of Soaking the Rich from 2019-01-12T01:00
Paul Krugman loves Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and says her suggestion for a much higher top marginal income tax rate is actually well founded and economically sound. Now if the column were just a...
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Ep. 170 Are Conservatives Hypocrites on Fed Policy? from 2019-01-07T23:36:41
Krugman can't believe that the same people warning about expansionary monetary policy under Barack Obama are suddenly concerned about contractionary monetary policy under Donald Trump. You alrea...
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Ep. 169 You Want the Free Market? You're Unscientific and a Hack from 2018-12-23T20:00
Why can't Krugman be a plain old economist who speaks in a nonpartisan way? That's what supporters asked after hearing him speak dispassionately about trade on a recent podcast. His answer: peop...
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Ep. 168 The Problems With the Green New Deal from 2018-12-18T06:40:06
Newly elected member of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been calling for a "Green New Deal," which she says will at once confront the dangers of climate change and also provide good jobs a...
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Ep. 167 How Can a Free Society Handle Terrorism, Climate Change, and Quarantines? from 2018-12-12T02:12
We take on additional hard questions for libertarians: quarantines (for infectious/incurable diseases), terrorism, Somalia, and climate change.
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Ep. 166 Krugman's Recent Q&A: His (Lousy) Answers, and Ours from 2018-12-01T00:41:16
Ep. 165 Why Did a Booming Economy Hit a Snag? (You'll Never Guess Krugman's Answer....) from 2018-11-19T13:13:34
Brazil's economy was booming and everything looked great, and then it suffered a severe slump. What the heck happened? Well, whether or not you're interested in Brazil you'll be interested in Kr...
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Ep. 164 Krugman: Backward Hicks Keep Thwarting My Candidates from 2018-11-10T16:09:04
Krugman laments that the Senate disproportionately represents people he obviously dislikes. we use that as a springboard for a lively discussion of the recent midterm elections and what's really...
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Ep. 163 Scott Horton on Trump, the Saudis, and Murder from 2018-11-05T15:38:46
The apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Saudis was the subject of this Krugman column, which discusses and criticizes the Trump response. Foreign-policy expert Scot...
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Ep. 162 LIVE FROM THE CONTRA CRUISE: Hard Questions for Libertarians from 2018-10-27T02:34:31
Aboard our third Contra Cruise, we take on some of the hardest questions libertarians have to answer: roads, the poor, defense, and more.
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Ep. 161 The Huge Problem the Fed Caused When It, Ahem, Solved the Last Problem from 2018-10-20T19:18:33
During and after the financial crisis the Fed increased the monetary base to an unprecedented extent. Everyone hailed it for its wisdom. but that alleged solution is now a major problem hanging ...
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Ep. 160 Climate Change Alarmists Prematurely Cheer New Nobel Winner from 2018-10-15T01:35:21
The media is delighted that William Nordhaus shared this year's Nobel Prize in economics. Why, he warns about the damage likely to be caused by climate change, just as we do! Not so fast, alarmi...
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Ep. 159 We're All Angry, Envious White Men from 2018-10-08T04:02:09
Krugman insists that the Brett Kavanaugh controversy is all about entitled, envious white men terrified of losing their status and privilege. We SLIGHTLY disagree. SLIGHTLY.
Ep. 158 How to Be Elegant When Smashing Your Enemies With a Sledgehammer from 2018-09-29T23:05:49
Bob and Tom discuss the work of Bob's favorite economist, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk. Böhm-Bawerk refuted many an economic fallacy in his day, including Marxism itself. We discuss the arguments he ma...
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Ep. 157 Krugman's Model Worked Great -- So Long as He Writes the History Books from 2018-09-22T21:25:06
Krugman surprises us by writing about economics. He tells us that in the wake of the financial crisis, the public and even other economists have drawn the wrong lessons. Contrary to what you've ...
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Ep. 156 Brett Kavanaugh Will Kill the Constitution, Krugman Says from 2018-09-14T17:22:43
This week's column, which makes hysterical claims about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, is a combination of baseless assertion and historical ignorance. Joining us for this week's dismant...
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Ep. 155 What Would Happen If One Country Became Free, and the Rest Had States? from 2018-09-08T11:16:42
We take a listener question -- early-bird registrants for the Listen
Ep. 154 The Economic Freedom of the States Proves Our Point, Not Krugman's from 2018-09-01T17:05:05
The Cato Institute recently issued a ranking of economic freedom in the 50 U.S. states. Krugman thinks they're defining freedom too narrowly, for surely workers in New York, where they have many...
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Ep. 153 Elizabeth Warren's Accountable Capitalism Act from 2018-08-26T00:22:38
Senator Warren has proposed sweeping changes to how corporations would be allowed to operate in the United States -- no longer will they cater to stockholders only, but they will have to take in...
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Ep. 152 Krugman Hearts Pelosi for Giving Us Obamacare, Stimulus, Financial Reform from 2018-08-18T23:12:46
Krugman calls Nancy Pelosi "by far the greatest speaker of modern times," and says she "surely ranks among the most impressive people ev...
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Ep. 151 Krugman Is a Crypto-Skeptic, and for Lousy Reasons from 2018-08-11T16:30:06
Krugman advances two main arguments against cryptocurrency. One of them, it turns out, applies equally well to the U.S. dollar, a point Krugman fails to acknowledge. Neither argument carries muc...
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Ep. 150 We Need the State to Protect Workers from 2018-08-04T22:04:26
There's been plenty of discussion of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, says Krugman, but it's been focused mainly on his views of presidential power, and not on his opinions on business and...
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Ep. 149 How to Unwind the Welfare State from 2018-07-30T22:37:03
Krugman is on vacation this week, so we take a topic suggestion from someone who's joining us on this year's Contra Cruise: how to unwind the welfare state peacefully as the fiscal crisis become...
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Ep. 148 LIVE FROM MISES U: Why Does Austrian Economics Matter to the Average Person? from 2018-07-24T22:16:12
We recorded this episode before a live audience at the Mises Institute's Mises University summer program. What a blast!
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Ep. 147 Krugman Hearts Democratic Socialists; We Don't from 2018-07-15T01:28:19
During the 2016 campaign Krugman was critical of Bernie Sanders, but all of a sudden he can't see anything wrong with "radical Democrats" like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. We help him see more clea...
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Ep. 146 Trump's Fake Victories? from 2018-07-09T16:07:10
The economy may be doing well, says Krugman, but when you look closer at what Trump touts as his great economic victories, they've been neutral to negative. (Also: winners of the Contra Cruise c...
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Ep. 145 The Libertarian Wing of the Libertarian Party from 2018-07-03T11:49:47
The Libertarian Party's Mises Caucus held a special event last weekend during the Libertarian Party's national convention, and we both spoke. We recorded this episode with three other speakers a...
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Ep. 144 How to Answer Climate Alarmists? Read Their Own Reports from 2018-06-23T19:54:03
In this episode, Bob flies solo and fields another Contra Cruiser request. Specifically, he explains the standard Austrian approach to air pollution, and then talks about the risks of catastroph...
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Ep. 143 Here's What Krugman Did to Win the Nobel Prize from 2018-06-16T20:08:33
We get this question all the time: what did Krugman win it for, and can you explain it in an episode? It involves trade, and we're discussing it today.
Ep. 142 KRUGMAN FLATTENED: The Neocons Are Sincere, He Says, But Everyone Else Is a Shill for the Coal Industry from 2018-06-09T18:04:29
Ep. 141 Do You Want the Crankish Monetary System We Have Now, or This Other Crankish Monetary System? from 2018-06-02T16:42:56
It's one thing to find problems with the current monetary system. It's quite another to recommend an alternative. Switzerland has establishment commentators going berserk over its own proposal -...
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Ep. 140 Fascism Is Coming to Europe from 2018-05-25T17:57:45
Krugman bewails the mistakes and poor judgment of the establishment on both sides of the Atlantic, because the result has been a popular revolt tending towards fascism. We also discuss the euro,...
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Ep. 139 Why Are Drug Prices So High in the U.S.? from 2018-05-19T19:01:11
Krugman is unconvinced by the Trump plan to get Americans lower drug prices, and tries to figure out why those prices are so high. Let's just say that in this episode we help him do a better job...
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Ep. 138 The War on Dissidents, Which Krugman Pretends Not to See from 2018-05-13T20:06:38
Krugman makes fun of the idea that conservatives and libertarians are treated particularly unfairly. Why, people criticize Krugman, too, and that's all right by him! Well, we have more fun in th...
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Ep. 137 Is Taxation Theft? Not If You're Not Entitled to Your Paycheck in the First Place, Says Philosopher from 2018-05-07T17:41:07
Philip Goff argues that libertarians make a variety of unsupported and unsupportable assumptions when they claim that taxation is theft. We defend the libertarian claim against Goff. (What else ...
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Ep. 136 You Hate Schoolteachers, and Education, and Knowledge from 2018-04-30T19:36:41
Ep. 135 Evil Fossil Fuel People Are Keeping Renewable Energy Down! from 2018-04-21T15:27:45
Krugman says renewable energy is getting less expensive and more realistic as a power option all the time, and that the only thing standing in the way are shills for the various fossil-fuel indu...
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Ep. 134 Liberals Are Honest, Aren't Bootlickers, and Admit Their Mistakes, Unlike Krugman's Stupid and Evil Enemies from 2018-04-12T14:22:50
Ep. 133 Protectionism Doesn't Cause Depressions, But Here's What It Does Do from 2018-04-09T00:57:07
Opponents of protectionism sometimes misrepresent what the real danger of it is. It isn't going to cause a depression or mass unemployment. But it does do something -- beyond just raising domest...
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Ep. 132 The Phillips Curve and Keynesian La-La Land: The Alleged Relationship Between Unemployment and Inflation from 2018-03-31T19:51:33
Krugman insists on the validity of the Phillips Curve, which purports to show an inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation, but the causal mechanism Krugman sees between them is st...
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Ep. 131 Trade and Tariffs, and Should We Fear a Strong Dollar? from 2018-03-23T20:40:34
Ep. 130 Contra Robert Reich from 2018-03-19T19:40:30
Today we branch out a bit and take on one of Robert Reich's popular (but obviously simplistic) videos about what's gone wrong with the economy. Why, we once had strong labor unions, education, a...
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Ep. 129 Trump's Tariffs Are Bad (and So Is Krugman) from 2018-03-14T22:17:39
Trump's tariffs are bad economics, so Krugman isn't entirely wrong, but his cheerleading for some of the well-known trade agreements needs the gentle correction we're known for on this show....<...
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Ep. 128 The Destructive Idiocy of "Modern Monetary Theory" from 2018-03-05T22:49:46
Ep. 127 Krugman Is Half Right: He Says Half the Political Class Are Liars from 2018-02-24T15:37:50
Krugman insists that Republicans are unique in refusing to admit to making mistakes, lying about their intentions, etc. Of course, these are characteristics of the entire regime, but Krugman, wh...
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Ep. 126 Deficit Hawks Are Hypocrites (Says Krugman, Who Is 100% Not a Hypocrite) from 2018-02-16T18:14:03
Ep. 125 Is the Stock Market Telling Us Something? from 2018-02-09T02:47:22
Krugman insists that "the stock market is not the economy," and that downturns in the stock market need not portend bad economic times. But he takes the opportunity of stock market volatility to...
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Ep. 124 Bitcoin Is Evil, and a Bubble, Says Krugman from 2018-02-02T19:34:48
Krugman thinks Bitcoin serves no good purpose, except perhaps for people who are up to no good, and is powered by libertarian fantasies and paranoia. Bob and Tom have some fun banter on this one...
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Ep. 123 We're Forgetting How Bad Previous Presidents Were from 2018-01-26T17:08:43
Krugman complains about Trump again this week, and blames him for (among numerous other things) the loss of U.S. credibility abroad. We take a stroll down (recent) memory lane to add some perspe...
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Ep. 122 Varieties of Wrongness: The Different Kinds of Keynesianism from 2018-01-21T02:22:51
This week we bypass Krugman's columns to discuss the different schools of Keynesianism, how and when they emerged, and what their differences are.
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Ep. 121 We've Never Had a President Who.... Oh, Really? from 2018-01-12T22:02:12
Krugman hits a bunch of themes in this one, among them Alexander Hamilton, Russiagate, and the claim that no president ever acted on the desire to imprison his opponents. We restore a bit of per...
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Ep. 120 Krugman Tries to Explain Away the 2017 Economy from 2018-01-10T00:08:10
Immediately after the 2016 election, Krugman predicted markets would "never" recover, but after a strong 2017, Krugman is suddenly reminded that presidents don't have much influence over the eco...
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Ep. 119 Is Bitcoin More Evil Than Krugman? from 2017-12-31T01:47:44
In this episode, Bob once again flies solo, burdening the listeners with his odd sense of humor. But along the way, he tackles Krugman's objections to Bitcoin, and also discusses the relevance o...
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Ep. 118 Krugman Talks Taxes, Debt, and the Innovative Post Office from 2017-12-23T22:45:10
In this episode, Bob flies solo when analyzing a Krugman interview with Vox's Ezra Klein. Being close to the holiday, it's only appropriate that our Keynesian Nobelist seems to be contradicting ...
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Ep. 117 How Bob Smacked Down Krugman on the Financial Crisis from 2017-12-17T20:57:51
Krugman is claiming that everything he said regarding housing and the financial crisis has been vindicated. The problem, he says, was a general collapse in "demand." Contra Krugman co-host Bob M...
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Ep. 116 Krugman Hearts the Neocons for Their Principles from 2017-12-06T15:36:44
Krugman is upset that more Republicans aren't speaking out against the tax bill that's been in the news. But there's one bright light for Krugman: the neocons. Lots of them have been soundly ant...
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Ep. 115 Brutal: Contra Krugman Takes on Krugman's P.C. List of America's Sins from 2017-12-02T20:05:57
In one of the most heated episodes ever, Bob and Tom take apart Krugman's apologies for not fully appreciating the extent of his "white privilege," and for the things he says he once appreciated...
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Ep. 114 What's Wrong With Keynes, in a Nutshell from 2017-11-25T16:45:18
No Krugman column this week for us; instead we step back and look at the big picture: what exactly do Keynesians get wrong in their understanding of the economy?
Ep. 113 Will Tax Cuts Mean Millions of Lost Manufacturing Jobs? from 2017-11-18T14:32:05
Krugman argues that the GOP tax plan, even on its own terms, would blow up the trade deficit and lead to millions of lost manufacturing jobs. We teach the economics behind his argument, but also...
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Ep. 112 Don't Get Excited About Tax Cuts, Says Krugman; Results Will Be Pitiful from 2017-11-11T22:27:26
Krugman says Republicans are expecting too much from the corporate income tax rate cut they're proposing. Is he right?
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Ep. 111 Cutting Corporate Taxes Helps Only "The Rich," Says Krugman from 2017-11-04T14:10:40
This week, Krugman disputes the claim that reductions in corporate tax rates help anyone but the super-rich. So we explain to him how they work.
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Ep. 110 Krugman Demands We Admit Our Mistakes, Embrace the Fed from 2017-10-29T01:09:17
Ep. 109 LIVE from the Contra Cruise: Do People Behave the Way Economists Predict? from 2017-10-21T17:29:37
Krugman is a fan of Richard Thaler, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, and speaks in favor of Thaler's argument that real people often don't act like the calculating robots of neoclassical ...
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Ep. 108 Do We Need an Interventionist at the Fed? from 2017-10-16T22:41:02
Ep. 107 The Problems With Tax Reform from 2017-10-08T17:15:44
Krugman complains that what we know so far about a potential Trump tax reform plan is not good -- it would give most relief to millionaires and billionaires. We discuss Rand Paul's opposition to...
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Ep. 106 One of the Top Krugman Errors Ever, Literally Out of Economics 101 from 2017-10-01T22:24:09
Ep. 105 How Bad Is the Latest GOP Health Care Bill? (Includes Great Bob/Tom Banter) from 2017-09-25T00:05:06
The Graham-Cassidy bill is yet another version of Obamacare repeal -- but is that what it does? We cover the ongoing debate, with plenty of the usual fun.
Ep. 104 Another 9/11 Anniversary, and the Political Class Is Still Stupid (and/or Evil) from 2017-09-16T14:02:35
Krugman observes the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, with a column about the unique wickedness of the Republicans, and no acknowledgment of the bipartisan War Party. Scott Hort...
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Ep. 103 Krugman Fair With Sessions? Keep DREAMing from 2017-09-09T16:55:02
Bob flies solo in this episode, as Tom & Family evacuate for the hurricane. Krugman makes some good observations about the economics of immigration, but (as usual) he misrepresents his opponents...
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Ep. 102 Hurricane Harvey, Climate Change from 2017-09-02T20:32:17
Krugman blames the destructiveness of the hurricane partly on climate change and partly on Houston's lack of zoning. We take these on, and also defend the "price gouger," who genuinely saves liv...
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Ep. 101 Krugman: Trump and Republicans Plot Against Workers from 2017-08-25T22:07:24
Even if Republicans don't get their way on taxes or spending, don't be fooled, says Krugman: they have lots of other ways to make workers miserable.
Ep. 100 Ron Paul’s Guide to 2017 from 2017-08-17T17:14:51
Ron Paul joins us as our special guest on episode 100! We cover health care, the Trump foreign policy, trade, the splintering of the “liberty movement,” and more. Enjoy!
Ep. 99 Krugman Doesn't Get What Happened in 2008 from 2017-08-11T18:24:54
Krugman claims the downturn of 2008 was caused by inadequate "demand." The Austrians claim the downturn was more complicated: it involved problems in particular sectors that had been artificiall...
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Ep. 98 Do Krugman's Opponents Lie About Taxes, Health Care, and Everything Else? Or Is Krugman Just Dead Wrong? from 2017-08-04T23:31:08
Republicans are incorrigibly wrong on issue after issue, from taxes to health care, says Krugman. They have no respect for experts, for data, or for the truth itself.
And yet it turns out...
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Ep. 97 How Central Banks Hurt Regular People (LIVE from Mises U) from 2017-08-01T23:53:58
How do central banks hurt the common man? That's the theme of our discussion in this episode, recorded live at the Mises Institute's annual week-long instructional program for students. Professo...
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Ep. 96 Long Ago, Weren't Conservatives Better Than They Are Now? from 2017-07-21T21:34:21
On his blog, Krugman responds to fellow columnist Bret Stephens, who argues that the conservative movement has fallen a long way since the days of William F. Buckley. Krugman responds that the c...
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Ep. 95 Do Economic Laws Have Expiration Dates? from 2017-07-17T04:15:57
Krugman reviews economic ideas that he says no longer apply today. Is there anything wrong with his thinking?
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Ep. 94 The Disastrous Results of a Trade War from 2017-07-09T15:24:42
Is a trade war in the offing? There's plenty of protectionist talk coming from the White House. Will it "save jobs"?
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Ep. 93 The Seattle Minimum Wage Policy Is a Disaster from 2017-06-30T23:46:38
The official study commissioned by the city of Seattle is painting a grim picture of the consequences of the minimum wage increase in that city thus far.
Ep. 92 Krugman Says GOP Policies Are Zombies and Vampires from 2017-06-24T07:39:24
Well well well, in a splash of serendipity, the one week Tom leaves the show in Bob's hands, Krugman devotes his column to zombies--and vampires. Specifically, the GOP idea that tax cuts on the ...
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Ep. 91 You Know Where There Won't Be a Shipwreck from 2017-06-18T17:47:39
Ep. 90 Trump Has Destroyed the Planet! from 2017-06-12T02:13:29
Krugman wrote two columns in a row on Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Accord and the abdication of American leadership on climate change, and we reply to them both in this episode.
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Ep. 89 Risking the Planet? from 2017-06-03T12:07:32
Ep. 88 Krugman: Free Markets Are the Real Road to Serfdom! from 2017-05-27T19:56:36
This week Krugman complains that workers are becoming less free: Obamacare is in danger of repeal, and more and more workers are being required to sign noncompete agreements. These things limit ...
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Ep. 87 LIVE IN SEATTLE: Krugman Wrong on Everything from 2017-05-24T12:36:35
For the second time, we recorded a live episode of the show in Seattle. We hit health care, foreign policy, taxes, and more. Thanks to the energetic crowd!
Ep. 86 Krugman Warns Fellow Elites: We Are Under Attack from 2017-05-12T17:37:39
You probably know what Paul Krugman thinks of Brexit and Marine Le Pen, but in this column he urges European elites not to treat them as if they can be brushed aside. The populist wave is strong...
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Ep. 85 Trump Is Terrible, and His Supporters Won't Admit It, Says Krugman from 2017-05-08T19:40:11
On the one hand, people are telling pollsters that they're bullish on the economy, but on the other, the economic statistics (like retail sales) aren't reflecting this kind of confidence. What's...
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Ep. 84 Tax Cuts, Shmax Cuts: They're Overrated, Says Krugman from 2017-05-01T18:01:42
Krugman can't believe people still think tax cuts (particularly on "the rich," who of course pay most of the taxes) might have good and substantial effects on the economy, or that they could bel...
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Ep. 83 Why All the Talk About Manufacturing? Don't All Jobs Matter? from 2017-04-21T16:58:55
Krugman (correctly) wonders about all the emphasis on manufacturing employment, when many other perfectly honorable lines of work have also witnessed declines. Why the emphasis on manufacturing?...
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Ep. 82 Is Krugman Right About Syria? from 2017-04-13T18:25:36
Krugman says Trump's recent strike on Syria is typical of the man: a one-shot action masquerading as policy. He also says that Obama was right to stay out, since there was no clear way through t...
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Ep. 81 Trump the President and Trump the Candidate Seem Rather Different from 2017-04-08T19:28:39
Krugman wonders what became of Trump's bluster about trade -- so far, the proposed changes to trade policy are minor. Bob and Tom discuss President Trump as compared to candidate Trump.
<...
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Ep. 80 When Krugman Struck Back at Bob on Business Cycles from 2017-03-31T22:07:42
This week (with Krugman discussing Obamacare yet again) we decided to hop into our time machine and revisit a golden oldie: Krugman's response to one of Bob's articles on capital theory and busi...
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Ep. 79 Since Government Is Awesome, Where and Why Would You Cut the Budget? from 2017-03-24T11:44:15
Ep. 78 If You're Not a Keynesian, You're Not Living in Reality from 2017-03-17T15:41:31
Krugman's opponents all live in a fantasy world where facts don't count. That's his dispassionate assessment of our present situation. He also can't believe anyone would think the Congressional ...
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Ep. 77 It's Easy to Criticize, But How Good Are Self-Proclaimed Free Market People at Devising Alternatives? from 2017-03-12T23:48:18
Republicans are now figuring out that really, the Democrats have been right all along, which is why it's so hard to devise a true alternative to Obamacare. That's Krugman's argument in this colu...
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Ep. 76 Has Obamacare Really Saved Lives? Plus: Now Krugman Knows How Libertarians Feel All the Time from 2017-03-05T14:37:26
We've covered Obamacare quite a bit on this podcast, but we had to address Krugman's claim -- advanced by many on the left -- that Obamacare has surely saved lives, and its repeal would undoubte...
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Ep. 75 Tax Cutting and Deregulation: It's a Myth That These Cause Economic Growth!! from 2017-02-26T01:50:15
Krugman says the Trump Administration is wrong to expect economic growth in the range of 3 to 3.5 percent a year. We look at Krugman's analysis of what does and doesn't cause economic growth -- ...
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Ep. 74 If Ignorance Is Strength, How Strong Is Krugman? from 2017-02-18T21:45:33
You know the drill: Krugman says Republicans--including but not limited to Donald Trump--are blithering idiots who are actually proud of their ignorance. There are plenty of right-wingers we dis...
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Ep. 73 Trade, Tariffs, Walls, and Trump from 2017-02-10T18:11:17
In this episode we talk tariffs, taxes in general, and whether business can really "pass on" a tax to consumers.
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Ep. 72 Will Trump Make Manufacturing Decline Faster? from 2017-02-05T00:11:28
Donald Trump was elected in part to keep manufacturing jobs in the United States and reversing that sector's decline. Krugman says his program will do the exact opposite.
Ep. 71 Krugman: Things Are Going to Get Worse, and When They Do, My Opponents Will Manufacture Their Own Reality from 2017-01-29T00:14:53
Trump and his supporters live in a bubble and manufacture their own reality, says Krugman. That's Krugman talking, we remind you. Krugman is speaking about other people manufacturing their own r...
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Ep. 70 The Obama Years: A Libertarian Assessment from 2017-01-21T21:54:11
We decided to depart from our usual format this week, given the significance of the Obama-Trump transition, to look back at and offer some thoughts about the Obama years.
Ep. 69 This Is Why Our Podcast Exists: Krugman Literally Says Deficits Matter Again -- at the Very Moment a Republican Takes Over from 2017-01-11T00:08:33
Krugman actually had the nerve to write a column called "Deficits Matter Again." We demolish this column. We prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Krugman is simply a hypocrite, despite his prot...
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Ep. 68 Corruption: What Krugman Sees, and What He Pretends Not to See from 2017-01-07T23:19:41
Trump promises to be the most corrupt president in U.S. history, says Krugman, who offers hotel reservations as a key example. Democratic and bipartisan corruption is of course ignored. Oh, and ...
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Ep. 67 Protectionism Is Bad (but When Democrats Support It, Krugman Will Find Excuses) from 2017-01-03T17:27:54
Krugman disagrees with Trump's trade policies and thinks they're grounded in falsehoods (e.g., China as a "currency manipulator"). You'll never guess what Krugman has said in the past when Democ...
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Ep. 66 Krugman's a Little Late to Be Worrying About the Republic: His Analogies with the Ancient World Are Lame from 2016-12-23T21:30
So Paul Krugman is suddenly shedding tears over the fate of the republic. Of course, he cheered every step that brought us here.
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Ep. 65 Did the Russians Hack the Election? from 2016-12-16T22:35:16
That sounds totally realistic and not at all like it was concocted by spooks.
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Ep. 64 Why It's Impossible to Keep Only the "Good Parts" of Obamacare from 2016-12-11T17:10:38
Let's keep the part about covering pre-existing conditions, say Donald Trump and many other Republicans, and just get rid of the parts we dislike. Unfortunately for them, that can't be done.
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Ep. 63 On Education, We Catch Krugman Telling the Exact Opposite of the Truth from 2016-12-03T16:36:02
In Krugman's column on cronyism and profiteering, Bob and Tom pay particular attention to the section on education, where Krugman discusses school vouchers and "privatization." Wait till you hea...
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Ep. 62 Krugman Desperate to Oppose Trump Infrastructure Stimulus from 2016-11-23T21:26:28
Funny: Krugman used to be happy about any kind of fiscal stimulus. But when it's a Republican doing it, he has to come up with a laundry list of reasons to oppose it. But his own economic theory...
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Ep. 61 Surprise: Krugman's Concerned about the Debt Again from 2016-11-20T16:39:03
Well, well, well: guess who's suddenly worried about the deficit and the debt! After just telling us that increasing the debt in any way for any reason would be a good thing, to boot!
Ep. 60 Krugman Copes With Trump: Special Guest David Stockman from 2016-11-13T01:47:40
Even though Donald Trump supports massive infrastructure spending financed by debt in order to put people to work (sound familiar), Krugman is of course horrified by the election result. This we...
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Ep. 59 The Media's Tough on Hillary Because of Right-Wing Pressure, Says Paul "La-La Land" Krugman from 2016-11-06T15:24:03
Ep. 58 Only Idiots Worry About the National Debt from 2016-10-29T01:44:07
Ep. 57 Everything Is Awesome, So Why Are Trump and Ryan Complaining, Wonders Krugman from 2016-10-21T23:13:19
Both Donald Trump and Paul Ryan, each in his own way, spin crazy dystopian stories about America, says Krugman. Our country isn't perfect, but where are they getting these crazy ideas? We sort o...
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Ep. 56 LIVE from the Contra Cruise: How Krugman Wants to Make You Poorer from 2016-10-15T20:22:20
In this special episode recorded before a live audience on board the Contra Cruise, which Tom and Bob are hosting this week, your hosts take on Krugman on tighter fuel efficiency standards of au...
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Ep. 55 Krugman, Trump, and Trade from 2016-10-09T21:31:15
Krugman says it's not just Trump who's an ignoramus, but his economic advisors, too: why, they seem to think a foreign VAT (value-added tax) hurts US exporters. We investigate, and turns out the...
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Ep. 54 Watch Out: Hillary and the Government Want to Help Families from 2016-09-30T23:35:39
All the Republicans want to do is cut taxes on the rich, says Krugman, but Hillary has lots of programs she wants to enact for "working families." And each one is obtuse in its own special way.<...
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Ep. 53 Krugman's Stern Warning: Don't You Dare Vote for the Crazy Libertarians from 2016-09-23T13:58:25
Ep. 52 Why Would Anyone Think Hillary Clinton Isn't Truthful? from 2016-09-17T22:02:15
Krugman suggests that the image of Hillary Clinton as particularly untruthful is a fabrication of the right-wing noise machine. We remind him of some uncomfortable truths.
Ep. 51 Not Voting Democrat? Then You Want to Kill Children, Says Krugman from 2016-09-09T23:16:43
This week, Krugman is unhappy about the adverse health effects of lead paint, which only Hillary Clinton wants to eradicate. This is typical, Krugman says: Republicans (which in his mind is syno...
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Ep. 50 Cuts to Planned Parenthood Caused Pregnant Women to Die? Here's the Real Story Behind This Whopper from 2016-09-03T21:26:58
Why have mortality rates among pregnant women in Texas doubled in recent years? There's no one explanation, Krugman admits -- and then proceeds to pounce on one explanation: cuts to Planned Pare...
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Ep. 49 Obamacare Sinking? Why, It's Just a Flesh Wound, Says Krugman! from 2016-08-29T18:41:42
The bad news keeps piling up for Obamacare: Aetna, for example, is pulling out of a lot of the exchanges. The failures are everywhere now. According to Krugman, a little tinkering here and there...
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Ep. 48 Where Does Economic Growth Come From? Krugman Genuinely Stumped from 2016-08-20T20:45:40
Ep. 47 Time for Lots of Borrowing and Spending? from 2016-08-13T12:17:12
Ep. 46 Krugman to NeverTrumpers: Hillary Probably Won't Be a Disaster from 2016-08-05T22:42:49
Ep. 45 Contra Krugman LIVE: Are We Just Like Milton Friedman? Where Austria and Chicago Differ from 2016-08-02T03:45:46
In this special episode of Contra Krugman, recorded live at the Listen
Ep. 44 Booming Stock Market Indicates Bad Times, Says Krugman from 2016-07-24T22:35:07
Is a rising stock market an indication of economic health? Not necessarily, says Krugman, and on that he's of course correct. But what accounts for rising stock prices today? He says a lack of a...
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Ep. 43 Krugman Says Investors Have Given Up Hope...So, What Happened to that Obama Recovery, Paul? from 2016-07-16T19:42:28
This week, Krugman considers several possible explanations for why long-term interest rates are so low around the world. The one he settles on: investors have concluded that the weak economy is ...
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Ep. 42 Without Government, Workers Are Doomed from 2016-07-09T21:29:51
This week, Krugman is unhappy that Donald Trump has earned a reputation as a defender of workers. How can he be, wonders Krugman, if he doesn't support Obamacare, more privileges for labor union...
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Ep. 41 Brexit and Liberty: Krugman Wrong Again from 2016-06-21T02:46:37
Krugman urges the British to remain in the European Union, and thinks free-market arguments against it are mere fantasy. In fact, British exit from the EU would be a great step forward for freed...
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Ep. 40 Krugman Shocked by GOP "Scandals," Not So Shocked at Destruction of Libya, Iraq from 2016-06-19T22:40:01
This week, Krugman suggests that the Republican Party attracts scammers and shysters who build email lists of gullible conservatives and then market fearmongering products or "get-rich-quick" sc...
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Ep. 39 It's Easy to Fix the Slowing Economy: Try Something That's Never Worked, Says Krugman from 2016-06-12T21:57
Krugman admits the recent job numbers aren't so good, but says there's an easy solution: fiscal stimulus. Waiting for actual examples of successful fiscal stimulus? You won't find them in this c...
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Ep. 38 When Businessmen Are Clueless About the Economy from 2016-06-05T21:09
This week, Krugman makes one decent point: successful businessmen aren't necessarily any good on economics. No argument there. Krugman doesn't quite get why his insight is true, but at least it'...
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Ep. 37 Our Most Brutal Takedown Yet: Krugman on the Clinton Economy from 2016-06-01T15:20:51
In this column, Krugman takes things to a whole new level. He tries to draw lessons from the Clinton boom in the 1990s, which he incorrectly says was better than the Reagan boom, even though he ...
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Ep. 36 LIVE FROM SEATTLE: Krugman's Greatest Hits from 2016-05-23T20:39:02
This episode was recorded before a live audience in Seattle on May 21, 2016, as part of the Mises Institute's event in Seattle. Krugman had been giving us thin gruel all week, but then, the day ...
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Ep. 35 Debt Default: Good or Bad? from 2016-05-15T13:47:45
You'll never guess: Krugman contradicts himself this week, but only Bob Murphy, who knows Krugman's columns inside and out, caught him. This week the topic is whether it's a good idea at some po...
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Ep. 34 What the World Needs Is More Spending from 2016-05-07T22:22
Surveying the economic stagnation in Europe, all Krugman can come up with is an alleged need for more government spending.
Ep. 33 Krugman and Hamilton Sitting in a Tree from 2016-04-30T22:03:29
According to Krugman, we should embrace the ideas of Alexander Hamilton, particularly his view that the national debt is in fact a "national blessing." We are unconvinced!
Ep. 32 Why Antitrust Is the Problem, Not the Solution from 2016-04-23T21:52:19
Krugman is now blaming poor economic times (but hasn't he been trying to tell us things are much better than the stupid right-wingers say?) on a lack of competition. Lax antitrust enforcement is...
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Ep. 31 The Nonsensical Case for More Regulation from 2016-04-15T22:45:57
Krugman is upset this week at a judicial ruling that held that the government's case for naming MetLife a Systemically Important Financial Institution (SIFI) was inadequate and should be thrown ...
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Ep. 30 Obama's Been a Great President? Not So Fast from 2016-04-09T12:54:26
Krugman argues that blinkered conservatives and cynical progressives alike have failed to appreciate the successes of the Obama presidency. He concentrates on four areas: the economy, health car...
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Ep. 29 We're Told to Fear Globalization, but We Shouldn't from 2016-04-02T19:52:32
This week Krugman says we ought to acknowledge that there are losers in international trade, and that we should introduce government subsidies, rather than trade restrictions, to help them. He s...
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Ep. 28 Income Mobility Really Does Exist, Paul Krugman from 2016-03-26T19:29:41
We managed to dig out some economics from yet another standard Krugman attack on the Republican Party. This time it's his skepticism about the existence of very much income mobility in America. ...
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Ep. 27 Is Free Trade Good or Bad? from 2016-03-18T21:42:54
Krugman discusses how economists should respond to the growth in sympathy for protectionism. Along the way, his Keynesian assumptions lead him to oddball conclusions. Bob and Tom also spend some...
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Ep. 26: Trump, China, Trade, and Currency Manipulation: It's All Here from 2016-03-11T22:53:52
Krugman says both Trump and Romney get the economics of trade wrong, but as usual, it's Krugman who makes his share of mistakes. With Bob on a lecture tour of Europe, Tom is joined this week by ...
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Ep. 25 Krugman Says: You Racist Republicans Paved Way for Trump from 2016-03-05T20:56:58
Bob and Tom use Krugman's column as a springboard from which to try to come to grips with the Trump phenomenon. Krugman does get a bit of it right this week, as it turns out, but whom are you go...
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Ep. 24 Krugman Attacks Bernie; Bernie's Supporters Hit Back from 2016-02-26T19:57:40
Paul Krugman criticized Bernie Sanders again last week, arguing that the numbers in his economic proposal don't work. In particular, he went after economist Gerald Friedman of the University of ...
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Ep. 23 Krugman: You're Stupid If You Oppose Stimulus from 2016-02-19T22:21:01
We couldn't pass up this column, called "On Economic Stupidity." If you want to rein in the Fed or not run deficits during a recession, you're just stupid. Here's our reply.
Ep. 22 Fear Balanced Budgets and Sound Money, Warns Krugman from 2016-02-13T21:05:19
Krugman accuses Establishment man John Kasich -- of all people -- of supporting hard money. Then he tells us that balancing budgets hurts depressed economies. A tone-deaf understanding of Americ...
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Ep. 21 Did the Financial Crisis Occur Because the Fed Was Too Timid? from 2016-02-06T15:56:21
Krugman evaluates the claims of market monetarists, who blame the Fed for the crisis because its policy was allegedly too timid. Krugman doesn't agree (and on that he's correct!), and he also fi...
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Ep. 20 Government Water Supply Is Contaminated? Don't Blame Government, Urges Krugman from 2016-01-29T21:29:47
You'll never guess how Krugman apportions blame for the polluted water fiasco in Flint, Michigan. Wait, you probably will. Bob and Tom exonerate libertarianism in this episode!
Ep. 19 Enough About Inequality Already; Here's the Truth from 2016-01-22T20:38:15
Ep. 18 Krugman on China: No Matter What Happens, He's Proven Right! from 2016-01-15T22:38:52
This week's column is classic Krugman. No matter what happens, he can claim to have predicted it. Or when a country obviously follows his advice, he finds some loophole on which he can blame the...
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Ep. 17 The Dramatic Consequences of American Elections, and Yes, We're Being Sarcastic from 2016-01-09T18:49:44
Krugman reassures progressives that Barack Obama really has had some accomplishments. Think of how radically different America would be under Mitt Romney! Top marginal tax rates might differ by ...
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Ep. 16 George W. Bush Was for Small Government, Says Krugman from 2016-01-02T19:33:43
Krugman says the GOP presidential candidates have all embraced the radical, anti-government views of George W. Bush. First, we were speechless. Then, we recorded an episode of Contra Krugman. Le...
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Ep. 15 Krugman Calls for Housing Bubble, Tries to Weasel Out of It, Then Blames Capitalism from 2015-12-26T22:53:35
This one is a doozy. Krugman called for low interest rates in 2001 precisely to stimulate housing, even calling for a housing bubble (this was "a joke," he later claimed). Now he says the artifi...
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Ep. 14 Krugman's Climate Hysteria Refuted from 2015-12-19T20:14:34
The Paris agreement on climate may have saved civilization, says Paul Krugman. The usual fact-free analysis then follows. But as you know, Paul Krugman is the bologna, and Contra Krugman is the ...
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Ep. 13 Krugman's Lame Defense of the Obama Economy from 2015-12-12T03:02:22
Krugman says the economy isn't really so bad! And the good parts are due -- of course! -- to what little Keynesian policy the stupid American rubes have permitted. You think he's going to get aw...
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Ep. 12 Krugman Wants Less Regulation; Our Podcast Is Wearing Him Down from 2015-12-05T00:26:23
Krugman correctly identifies one of the reasons housing is so expensive in New York. What else could the explanation be if not the salutary influence of Contra Krugman?
Ep. 11 Ignore the Bad News About Obamacare! Everything Is Fine! from 2015-11-27T15:50:01
This week Obamacare got some terrible news: rising premiums, lackluster enrollment (which is why the pool is sicker than anticipated), and major losses being suffered by insurance companies part...
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Ep. 10 Terrorism Creates Jobs from 2015-11-21T19:46:06
Ep. 9 Is Conservative Rhetoric Making White Men Kill Themselves? Krugman Thinks So from 2015-11-14T18:39:50
On the one hand, Krugman says we really don't know why mortality rates for middle-aged white men have been on the rise. On the other, it's probably because of his political opponents.
We ...
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Ep. 8 Does the Economy Perform Better Under Democrats? from 2015-11-06T21:47:21
This week, Paul Krugman claimed that the economy does better under Democrats, and that the wild growth promises of "free market" Republicans never materialize. Without being water carriers for e...
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Ep. 7 Obamacare Is a Big Success, Says Krugman from 2015-10-31T17:20:41
Says Krugman this week: poor Mitt Romney. Now he wants to take credit for paving the way for Obamacare, but the rubes in the GOP will rip his head off. But Mitt is right, says Krugman, and in an...
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Ep. 6 Enough About Denmark Already: Here's What Krugman and Sanders Left Out from 2015-10-23T15:54:09
Is Denmark a good model for the United States? Krugman thinks so, and claims the large welfare state there, combined with that country's prosperity, disproves free-market claims about the impove...
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Ep. 5 Who's Crazy? from 2015-10-17T16:13:07
Paul Krugman says Paul Ryan is an empty suit whose budget plans are ridiculous. No arguments there, as we'll show. But the problem with Ryan isn't that he's an Ayn Randian, as Krugman absurdly s...
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Ep. 4 Krugman Hearts Solar and Wind, Attacks Fossil Fuels from 2015-10-10T20:09
This week, Krugman says only GOP intransigence, and devotion to Big Energy, can account for conservative hostility to renewable energy. Wind and solar power aren't for hippies anymore, he says; ...
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Ep. 3: Trump Is Right About Economics, Says Krugman from 2015-10-01T18:29:16
Paul Krugman says Donald Trump is right to question supply-side orthodoxy about taxation of the wealthy. And Krugman says it's a myth that cutting those taxes helps the economy.
Lots of g...
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Ep. 2: Do the World's Governments Need More Debt? from 2015-10-01T18:28:25
Paul Krugman says that all the concern over debt is misplaced -- that what we need, in fact, is still more government debt. All we can say is: it's time for Contra Krugman.
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Ep. 1: Why Contra Krugman? from 2015-10-01T18:27:24
Welcome to Contra Krugman! In this inaugural episode, Tom Woods and Bob Murphy explain what they're seeking to accomplish with the podcast, what the format will be, the occasional guests they'd ...
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