Paul Krugman’s Honest Take On Egypt: “I Don’t Know Anything”

Fans of New York Times economic luminary Paul Krugman waiting on bated breath for an extensive financial analysis of the Egyptian uprising are in for a major disappointment: Krugman isn’t taking the bait. In a three-sentence confession on his blog, Krugman has admitted that he has no idea what to make of the Egyptian situation and knows better than to say anything at all.

Seems that, rather than attempt to discuss a subject on which he seems to have ruminated very little, Krugman decided that, when he has nothing smart to say, better not to say anything at all:

Perhaps Krugman feels a bit gun-shy after his comments blasting Sarah Palin and the American right for the tragic shooting in Tucson tarnished him in front of many on the center-right, not to mention his regular detractors that found said comments unacceptable. Or perhaps he independently came to the conclusion that honesty is the best policy. Either way, while his fans will only respect him more for knowing better than trying to disguise a lack of knowledge, those that have slammed Krugman precisely for speaking before thinking will likely milk this comment for all it’s worth, or at least hope this is the beginning of a trend.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!