Now normally, I don’t really care who wins the Nobel Prize for Economics. They’re usually some kind of disagreeable economist that isn’t really making much contribution to the real world (at least by perception). But this year it’s different. When I heard that Princeton professor and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman is this year’s winner — I was impressed. I was in the shower listening to the radio news, and I kind of even gave a loud cheer 🙂
Paul Krugman, while no doubt being a quality economist for decades now (that of course is the reason he won the award), but more notably for the rest of us, he’s been a major New York Times columnist for nearly a decade. And in that decade, he’s become one of the most rational, but also vocal, critics of the Bush government, and their general policies. It started with his criticism of their economics policies, but now extends to what they’ve done in general — and quite rightfully so. He even holds the distinction of being a critic since 2001-2, when most in the public eye were literally too afraid to do it.
He’s written several books, and is also a leading commentator on how Bush’s policies contributed to the current financial meltdown. I’ve been reading his blog and various columns for a while now, and I must admit that regular blog reading gives you a certain familiarity with the person, almost like you know them.
So congratulations, Professor Krugman. As economists go, he’s definitely one of the good guys.