Tell the Truth on the Economy

Why does the Obama administration refuse to come straight with the American people, explaining the reality of our economy?

It's in their political interests. Its the right thing to level with the people whom the President is supposed to serve.

But our president's economic point-people more often than not sound like the character, Squealer, in Orwell's Animal Farm: Here's why everything is getting better and better ... .

Paul Krugman is becoming so fed-up that in his most recent blog, he put up a video of Monty Python's Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.

Writes Krugman:

I sort of knew this, but I’m still somewhat amazed to see Tim Geithner’s happy talk in today’s Times.

Here’s the reality: the stimulus was too small; we’re not seeing growth at a pace that will bring unemployment down rapidly, if at all; we clearly should be doing more; but obstructionism from Republicans is preventing action. And the administration knows all this perfectly well.

So one way to play this politically would be to tell the truth, and try to place the onus on Republicans, accusing them of perpetuating high unemployment.

Instead, however, the administration has decided to engage in happy talk, saying that it’s all good.

Do they really think this will work? I mean, I live in fairly rarefied circles (that’s not a boast, it’s an admission of inadequacy), and even so I know a number of people whose lives have become a living hell: men in their late 50s who fear they’ll never work again, small business owners who have lost everything. Does the administration really believe that it can convince these people that it’s all on the mend?

I just don’t get it.

Neither do I, and millions of other Americans.