Tuesday, September 17, 2002

Dear Random Jottings,

You say:


We tried to find the June Washington Times column to which Krugman referred in which Kudlow supposedly argued for an invasion of Iraq to raise the Dow


The Kudlow article you are referring to was indeed (re)-published in the Washington Times, which Google is kind enough to make available for us.

The article was originally publishe in NRO and then later in the Wahington Time It includes these paragraphs which quite clearly state what Krugman said he had.


A couple of weeks later a final assault on Baghdad can take place. A small war, to use Wall Street Journal editorialist Max Boot's lexicon, led by fast-moving special forces and leather-toughened Marines [ed: a bit fetishistic, don't you think? A.: yep. Not sure what leather-toughened means, actually...], and assisted by high-tech precision bombs and air cover, can get the job done. All-out war mobilization is unnecessary. Iraq will fall with much less. At the same time, U.S. Special Forces must conduct a similar sweep to root out bin Laden and the al Qaedas along the Pakistan/Afghan border.

In his key war speeches thus far — the axis of evil designation before Congress, the first-strike / pre-emption speech at West Point, and this week's Palestine-directed statement of institution-building through the principles of freedom — Mr. Bush has kept democracy and a market economy central to solving this world terrorism crisis. But statements of principle only go so far. The spirit and security of the United States now require the instrument of war.
The shock therapy of decisive war will elevate the stock market by a couple thousand points. We will know our businesses will stay open, that our families will be safe and that our future will be unlimited. The world will be righted in this life-and-death struggle to preserve our values and our civilization. But to do all this, we must act.


The shock therapy of decisive war will elevate the stock market by a couple thousand points. We will know our businesses will stay open, that our families will be safe and that our future will be unlimited. The world will be righted in this life-and-death struggle to preserve our values and our civilization.But to do all this, we must act.




Love & Kisses,

-A.

UPDATE: in my snark-fueled haste I left off the final important paragraph. Apologies.