Paul Krugman: There’s A Much Bigger Con Man In American Politics Than Donald Trump

You can certainly be forgiven if you think Donald Trump is the most blatant liar and con man in Washington, D.C., a city which is known for political double-talk and broken promises. Virtually every word that leaves Trump’s mouth is a blatant fabrication, but Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman says the healthcare debate proved there is a bigger con man on Capitol Hill: House Speaker Paul Ryan.

In a column he wrote for the New York Times, Krugman lit into Ryan for his lies about Obamacare and the Trump/Ryan replacement, which was not even brought to the floor of the House for a vote:

“He claims that it would lower premiums; it would actually increase them. He claims that it would end the Obamacare death spiral; there isn’t a death spiral, and his plan would be more, not less, vulnerable to a vicious circle of rising premiums and falling enrollment. He claims that it would lead to ‘patient-centered care’; whatever that is supposed to mean, it would actually do nothing to increase choice.”

Krugman also notes that Ryan’s plans for the federal budget are also nothing but a plan to cut taxes for the ultrarich:

“The alleged deficit reduction came entirely from ‘magic asterisks’: claims about huge savings to be achieved by cutting unspecified government spending, huge revenue increases to be achieved by closing unspecified government spending, huge revenue increases to be achieved by closing unspecified tax loopholes. It was a con job all the way.”

Why in the hell would anyone take anything Ryan says the least bit seriously? Krugman asks. And then he answers the question:

“This false symmetry — downplaying the awfulness of some candidates, vastly exaggerating the flaws of their opponents — isn’t the only reason America is in the mess it’s in. But it’s an important part of the story. And now we’re all about to pay the price.”

Krugman can drop the mic now. He just explained exactly why the 2016 election could wind up being a disaster for this country and our future. We had a woman who would have made an excellent president, but instead we elected a buffoon who owes his soul to Putin and lets Paul Ryan write all the draconian policies.

This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org

 

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