Matthew Yglesias » Krugman Wins

Oct 13th, 2008 at 7:40 am

Krugman Wins

Paul Krugman wins the quasi-Nobel Prize in economics, no doubt because Bill Ayers secretly controls the relevant committee. Does this make him the first blogger to win a Nobel Prize? Important landmarks.

Comments
40

40 Responses to “Krugman Wins”

Anthony Damiani Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Man. And here I had my money on Atrios….
Dan Kervick Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:00 am
For better or worse, given the current economic crisis environment, Krugman has just been elected Czar of the World, and an agitated globe turns its dilated pupils and sweating brows toward him.

And the NY Times was just handed a web traffic windfall.
Petey Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:02 am
I’m very happy he won.
tkirk Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:12 am
As Mr. Simpson surely would say: In your face Cokie Roberts.
mark f Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Further proof that the Nobel committee hates America.
Don Williams Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:35 am
So have many Nobel Prizes have been won by Krugman’s critics over at the National Review?
kxf_in_dc Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:39 am
So the value of all the signed books I have by him has now, what, tripled?

I new they were a better investment than stocks…
Don Williams Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Could someone call over to the National Review’s “Krugman Truth Squad” Desk and ask Don Luskin what he thinks of the award?

http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_luskin/luskin200510281019.asp

heh
Felix Frankfurter Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:45 am
So have many Nobel Prizes have been won by Krugman’s critics over at the National Review?

Hundreds, I’m sure.
minderbender Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:51 am
The big question is, how will the Dow react? What is the verdict of the market on the Nobel committee’s decision?
Sarah Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 8:57 am
I almost wish he doesn’t win it this year while Bush is still in office. It would just detract from his accomplishment; you just know there are going to be articles in National Review and Weekly Standard calling it the Nobel Prize Committe way of f***ing with Bush.
steve duncan Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Ayers was having lunch in the M.I.T. cafeteria with a friend. He overheard a young student opining leftist economic theories and said “Aha, he’s just he kind of lad to nurture. I’ll secretly help him along and in a few years, Nobel in hand, he and the black kid from Hawaii can bring down the nation. HA, HA, HA!!!!!!!”
luis Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Apparently the recent lit winner started a blog in September. So at least he’s not the first Nobelist to have a blog.
dizzyg Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Not bad, for a Hillary supporter.
Scott Ferguson Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:26 am
If only this had come weeks ago. He could have taken his winnings and himself an investment bank… or two.
Amit Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:26 am
This is fantastic news!!! For Mickey Kaus!!!
John Emerson Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Luskin:

All that has changed. With today’s award to Paul Krugman, the Nobel as gone to an economist who died a decade ago. The person alive to receive the award is merely a public intellectual, a person operating in the same domain as Oprah Winfrey. And even as a public intellectual, the prize is inappropriate, because never before has a scientist operating in the capacity of a public intellectual so abused and debased the science he purports to represent. Krugman’s New York Times column drawing on economics is the equivalent of 2006’s Nobelists in Physics, astromers Mather and Smoot, doing a column on astrology — and then, in that column, telling lies about astronomy.

Obviously there are things worse than economists.
RKU Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Go Krug-Man!!
Nitish Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Gary Becker has blogged at the Becker-Posner blog since 2004, so Nobel Prize winners have had blogs for a while. Krugman may be the first active blogger to win a Nobel, though.
rafenske Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:49 am
What’s with the “quasi”. just because it’s only been given since 1960? I’ve never, in all the previous years seen the MSM use that “slight”. and it’s the only econ award they give.No?
gregor Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:52 am
and the world market soars.
Jeffrey Davis Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 9:56 am
What’s with the “quasi”. just because it’s only been given since 1960?

It’s not one of the prizes set up by Alfred Nobel. I could fund an award for comedy and call it the Nobel Prize for Comedy. Winner would get to call himself a Nobel Prize winner and spend his buck and a half prize money to help him buy a cup of coffee.

Well, heck, why not just start now? “The Simpsons” is long overdue. Matt Groening and company: 1st Nobel Prize for Comedy. Contact me, guys, for your buck and a half.
El Cid Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Since this prize was set up by Sweden’s Central Bank. This is all just because Krugman praised Sweden’s reaction to its banking crisis. Or vice versa. Or something. Bill Ayers! Gurk!
rafenske Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 10:06 am
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/2008/
Hey, Mr. J. Davis. Check this link above.
nobi yuno Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 10:07 am
If Krugman doesn’t somehow work in a lolcat with his prize, I will be disappointed at the missed opportunity. Just take the prize, put a cat in front of it, snap a pic and add the words “I can haz No Bell Prize pleaz” – pure internet comedy gold.
Sarah Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Luskin:

All that has changed. With today’s award to Paul Krugman, the Nobel as gone to an economist who died a decade ago.

I don’t get Luskin’s rant at all. Nobel prize is often given to work produced years ago by the winner. Didn’t John Nash win for his work he did a while ago when he was still young and relatively sane? Except for Nobel prize for literature and peace, it usually takes years for the accomplishments of these people to be recognized.

What’s his point? Because Krugman now says things that many people don’t like, the work that he did is now considered diminished in some ways?
LaFollette Progressive Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 11:10 am
“What’s his point? Because Krugman now says things that many people don’t like, the work that he did is now considered diminished in some ways?”

I think it’s best to proceed from the assumption that Donald Luskin does not have a point. He considers Krugman’s work to be diminished by the mere fact that Krugman strongly and publicly opposes the Republican Party.
aleks Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 11:18 am
I heard 2009 is your year Matt. You might as well get a trophy case and some polish and pick out your five favorite supermodels now.
The Modesto Kid Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Good news. Note that Nobelist Jose Saramago keeps a (excellent) blog; he was not however blogging at the time he won the prize.
Hector Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Jeffrey Davis,

I think the reason it’s called a ‘quasi’ Nobel is also because a lot of people feel (rightly, in my view) that economics isn’t a science in the way that physics, chemistry, and physiology are (if it comes to that, it’s not even a science in the way that the ’softer’ biological sciences are).

Economics demands you to make certain judgments about ends and means, and it’s much more difficult to separate one’s view about economics from one’s moral values. Whereas the ‘hard’ sciences, for the most part, can be done irrespective of moral judgments.

Also, human beings are not predictable (either in theory or practice) the way that most physical systems are.
Jeff R Says:
October 13th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Hector:

Peace and Literature aren’t sciences like Physics, Chemistry, or Medicine, either, but they are actual Nobel prizes because they were actually provided for in the actual Alfred Nobel’s actual estate planning. Which the Econ prize was not in any possible sense: calling it a ‘quasi’ Nobel is, in fact, undue generosity.
Mike Says:
October 14th, 2008 at 1:24 am
There is no way to get away from questions about politics in this award. Not in whether he deserved it — of course he did (I trust — like I’m informed enough to really judge)! But the Committee’s practice of choosing recipients long after they have published the work for which they are honored makes their decision about the timing of who receives the honor when entirely arbitrary. Given Krugman’s prominence both as a general critic of Bush and as a critic of the administration’s response to the crisis, the idea that the Committee would be so clueless as to be oblivious to the obvious appearance of politics being involved in their decision about the timing of Prof. Krugman’s award is difficult to credit. If they were aware of an inevitably not-politics-free appearance of managing the timing of this particular award, and they went ahead nevertheless, it becomes hard to see where politics didn’t in effect come into play somewhat in the timing.

Which is not to say I have a problem with that. I don’t.
viagra Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:04 am
viagra
Incredible site!
levitra Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:46 am
levitraI bookmarked this site. Thank you for good job!
viagra Says:
March 11th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
zyban Says:
March 13th, 2009 at 6:02 am
I bookmarked this site. Thank you for good job!
xanax Says:
March 14th, 2009 at 10:26 am
It is the coolest site,keep so!
xanax
tramadol Says:
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:45 am
tramadol
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
buy viagra online Says:
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:34 am
buy viagra online
I want to say – thank you for this!

Matt Yglesias

Krugman Wins

40 Responses to “Krugman Wins”

Blogroll