How does Paul Krugman still have a job?

As a college freshman in Political Science, I was required to buy a subscription to the New York Times and immediately fell in love. I was no stranger to newspapers, I was at the time serving on the Des Moines Register Reader Advisory board, meeting with the Vice President and Editor of the Des Moines Register and had attended morning meetings with the Register's editorial board.

But the Times was new and expansive. They covered events all over the world and always had the current news. Throughout college, my homepage was nytimes.com. I loved being up-to-date and respected their editorial page, the reading of which was usually my first activity of each day.

During my freshman summer internship, I discovered the Wall Street Journal. It was much better coverage of events and a better editorial section (if a government official, distinguished professor, business executive or international figure has something to say, their Opinion section is the most common venue). Assertions are supported by evidence and I have yet to find any other source of such quality macroeconomic explanations. But WSJ doesn't cover daily breaking news; the front page is covered with random stories with insight into economic and political events. When major current events do make the cover, the coverage is several days later and much more in-depth. So I cancelled the Times subscription but still frequented their website (just ask any roommate I've ever had).

A big part of my job now is to stay up with the news and the more I need good information with analysis the more I lose respect for the Times. Everyone agrees that Paul Krugman and Bob Herbert can be safely ignored, but the fact that they are still employed at all is a disgrace to what's been a leading institution in media for decades. This getting really off topic, but, holy shit, what a nutcase! Krugman's July 4 editorial derided Republicans for supporting Big Business at the expense of children when it comes to fighting obesity. His proof: the leadership is not acting on a bill that would make school lunches healthier to fight childhood obesity.

How many kids do you know that get fat for eating school f'ing lunch? Now maybe I'm out of line and there are all kinds of studies showing that the servings of goulash and corn dogs are harmful, but he certainly gives no proof. And the only reason for blocking a bill like that would have to be because they're for Big Business.

I won't go into Herbert in this rant, but Krugman often proves time and again that he is an intellectual midget of world record proportions. It's a disgrace to the Times to litter their paper and server space with his junk.