Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth.
Paul KrugmanRead
Bad ideas flourish because they are in the interest of powerful groups.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bad ideas thrive when they benefit those in power, often influencing perception and decision-making.
This quote by Paul Krugman suggests that the prevalence of poor or misguided ideas can often be traced back to the interests of powerful entities that promote them for their own gain. When those in positions of authority or influence back certain narratives, it becomes easier for these ideas to gain traction, regardless of their validity or potential consequences. It highlights the importance of critically assessing the motivations behind the information and beliefs that dominate public discourse.
Themes
Bad IdeasPowerInterestsInfluenceTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the influence of misinformation, this quote could be used to illustrate how elite interests shape public beliefs.
More from Paul Krugman
All quotes →Our popular economics writers, however, are not in the business of giving their readers a ringside seat on the research action; with no exception I can think of, they use their books to do an end run around the normal structure of scholarship, to preach ideas that few serious economists share. Often, these ideas are not just at odds with the professional consensus; they are demonstrably wrong, and sometimes terminally silly. But they sound good to the unwary reader.
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The raw fact is that every successful example of economic development this past century ... has taken place via globalization.
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Wealthy Americans who benefit hugely from a system rigged in their favor react with hysteria to anyone who points out just how rigged the system is.
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It’s not about the budget; it’s about the power...So will the attack on unions succeed? I don’t know. But anyone who cares about retaining government of the people by the people should hope that it doesn’t.
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The economics profession went astray because economists, as a group, mistook beauty, clad in impressive-looking mathematics, for truth.
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