Contra Krugman

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Ep. 45 Contra Krugman LIVE: Are We Just Like Milton Friedman? Where Austria and Chicago Differ Aug 02, 2016

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In this special episode of Contra Krugman, recorded live at the Mises Institute's Mises University summer instructional program for college students, Bob and Tom are joined by three other professors: Peter Klein (Baylor University), Lucas Englehardt (Kent State University), and Mark Thornton (Mises Institute).

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Ep. 44 Booming Stock Market Indicates Bad Times, Says Krugman Jul 24, 2016

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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 alternative options for investors -- another way of saying the economy stinks, even though he devotes half his columns to defenses of Obama.

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Ep. 43 Krugman Says Investors Have Given Up Hope...So, What Happened to that Obama Recovery, Paul? Jul 16, 2016

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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 the new normal, so to speak, so they're willing to accept low yields. But this explanation contradicts Krugman's repeated insistence that the Obama recovery is stronger than ignorant right-wingers give it credit for. Which is it, Paul?

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Ep. 42 Without Government, Workers Are Doomed Jul 09, 2016

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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 unions, higher taxes on the rich, and so on?

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Ep. 41 Brexit and Liberty: Krugman Wrong Again Jun 21, 2016

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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 freedom, as Bob and Tom show in this week's episode.

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Ep. 40 Krugman Shocked by GOP "Scandals," Not So Shocked at Destruction of Libya, Iraq Jun 19, 2016

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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" schemes to them. Thank goodness the Democrats never do anything like that! They teach that the only way to prosper is through hard work and individual initiative, and.... Well, anyway, this is a juicy episode. Listen to it, or the world will end.

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Ep. 39 It's Easy to Fix the Slowing Economy: Try Something That's Never Worked, Says Krugman Jun 12, 2016

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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 column, and for good reason....

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Ep. 38 When Businessmen Are Clueless About the Economy Jun 05, 2016

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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's something. Bob and Tom discuss (1) why government can't be run like a business, (2) why falling wages need not be a catastrophe for "aggregate demand," (3) whether it makes sense to speak of a "manager" of the economy, and more.

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Ep. 37 Our Most Brutal Takedown Yet: Krugman on the Clinton Economy Jun 01, 2016

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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 himself admits there are no applicable lessons from that boom. It's awful, and we beat him to an intellectual pulp.

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Ep. 36 LIVE FROM SEATTLE: Krugman's Greatest Hits May 23, 2016

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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 before the event, he gave us such a whopper of a column it was like a giant gift with a big red bow on it.

Show notes for Ep. 36

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