Newsweek: "What If Paul Krugman Were A Woman?"

newsweek.com:

"Please do not believe all the talk about the green shoots of the Japanese economy, which I suspect you might have heard. We are in pretty bad shape."

Narika Hama, a professor of economics at Doshisha University in Kyoto, is a sort of Japanese version of Paul Krugman�"if Paul Krugman were a woman with a purple rinse, pink jacket, funky blue jeans, black patent leather pumps, and a vague British accent. Hama, who lived in the United Kingdom as a child in the 1960s, is something of an intellectual celebrity in Japan. (One of my Japanese hosts was excited to get her autograph after our meeting.) She's a respected academic economist and a well-known commentator. She writes a monthly column for the Japan Timesand is a regular contributor to Open Democracy. Like Krugman, she's a scholar and polemicist who doesn't shrink from speaking directly about politics. She's also got the columnist's gift for phrasing and buzzwords.

Read the whole story: newsweek.com

Comments

[hackerblaster]

Well, he does have pretty eyes.

[vie2012ne]

Kruggie would still be an opinionated Hobbit not worth listening to.

[SCG]

What if Newsweek was relevant?

[Rule Of Law]

Beat me to it....

[polarcap2]

now we know why Newsweek has fewer and fewer readers

[jozzie]

Cosign. For a few other recent t urds they published.

Very low editorial standards. Beyond low.

[StephenJK]

I would say, "Wow! That is one unattractive female!"

:)

[amorvincitomnia]

The hypothetical Paula Krugman would have a hard time getting the media to focus on her ideas instead of scutinizing her shape, weight, size, age and whether or not her boobs were real.

[mamacat]

Taking the title at face value, why should it matter whether a gifted intellect is a man, or a woman? I know that there are a lot of people to whom it does matter, but it shouldn't.
What if he were a woman, and he lived in a muslim society? Would his genius be lost because of their misogynistic culture?

[andyg]

Yes.

[AlaninElkGrove]

...and if my aunt had a package...

[brownstoness]

FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE DAY - STARVE THE BEAST

We're udnergoing a delveraging process. Expect the DJIA to bottom at 5000 or lower.

Americans are starting to come to their senses. The savings rate reached 6.9% last month,
the highest level in 15 years. This brought the level up to the long-term average. As usual,
the pundits on CNBC have concluded that now that we've reached the average, everything is
roses and the consumer can resume their free spending ways and save our economy. These fools
have no concept of history, averages or cycles. The savings rate has been in a downward
spiral for 30 years. Consumers have lost $14 trillion of net worth and 5,000 per day turn
65. Most people have miniscule retirement savings and 14.7 million are unemployed. The
savings rate will go up for the next two decades as people must save.

hat tip to: http://iamned.blogspot.com 4 the good articles

[Mannock]

What if Newsweek was a reputable news source?

[iblogleft]

Amen.

[Bettysdad]

If Krugman were a woman, the GOP would despise him even more than they already do.

[humanbeing-rick]

What a stupid article!
Rather than deal with the meat fo the issues, lets turn it into fluff !!!
What lousy reporting.
It belittles the great efforts of these people.

[hearmeout]

If Paul Krugman were a woman - no offense, ladies - but I'd hate to see him in a bikini.

On a serious note, what difference what it make and why would Newsweek waste their time engaging in such a mindless exercise? Are they fresh out of Michael Jackson exposes already? If he were a woman he'd still be on the extreme end of the spectrum where deficits, no matter how high the national debt climbs, don't matter. He'd still think that the health care crisis could be cured with a supply-side approach while completely ignoring the demand side of the equation - i.e., obesity, smoking, stress. He'd probably still believe that the government could fix anything if only they threw enough regulations and borrowed cash at it. In short, if Krugman were female he'd probably still be an extreme, albeit necessary voice shouting his way across the American mindscape. I don't always agree with him, but he's hard not to respect. Male or female - who cares? As long as he remains clothed.

[norepublicanleftbehind]

Then people would talk more about her looks than her intellect. She probably would have a prominent column in the NYT and would not have graced the cover of many trade magazines. She'd be on the cover of Good Housekeeping or Vogue if she were thin enough and she would not be taken as seriously as he is.

[polarcap2]

well, he/she certainly wouldn't be pregnant