Sunday, April 20, 2008

Hindu's Erroneous Take on the American Right

Friday's editorial in the Hindu on Barack Obama says:
Mr. Obama then fell into a rhetorical trap while speaking about white working class voters, a block whose support will be crucial in the tests ahead. In his essentially accurate yet insensitively expressed view, these voters “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them” in order to overcome the bitterness wrought by their economic conditions.

Read Paul Krugman's column in the New York Times for a convincing refutation of this thesis. Krugman is no right-wing zealot. In fact, many of his economic ideas are the staple of leftist thought. The Hindu has published columns making the same claim before. In fact, the notion that economic woes are at the root of all political sentiment is the cornerstone of Marxist dogma. Compelling as it is, Krugman provides evidence that at least as applied in this manner, the view is simplistic and plainly erroneous.

5 comments:

socal said...
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socal said...

Chindu's distant condescension is along expected lines. Leftists still see that as accurate and have been justifying Obama's statements ever since.

There view might just change after the Nov election though, after another rebuke a la Kerry. Chindu should worry about the future of socialists in Italy, homeland of Ma Belle.

Dirt Digger said...

I haven't been following Chindu's articles on Obama. What is the official stance on Obama?

Anonymous said...

The Hindu has generally been favorable about Obama. It has not exactly been against Hillary either. The paper just wants a democrat in the White House.

socal said...

American Left "nutroots" are solidly behind Obama. Chindu has very little choice but to follow the lead.