...and it's all George Bush's fault.

This is the first time I've ever seen a polemic liberal refer to the sexist, conformist, lockstep, Stepford, artifical, scary, "McCarthy Witchhunt Era" (also known as the 1950s) as "paradise lost." Usually they're bitching about all that oppression, what with the men working and their wives making babies and Jello salads in the cookie-cutter Hell of Levittown.

I'm amused by the juxtaposition of "America sucks because people are less socially mobile than in Europe" (not sure I believe that) with "America sucks because people are less socially secure than in Europe." (which I believe, since "socially secure" means "gov't welfare supports a middle-class lifestyle") Just come out and say "America sucks and it's all George Bush's fault" without the window dressing.

Mostly, I'm impressed as hell with anyone who gives a book talk and requires the audience to purchase a copy of the book at the door. Especially impressive when the book is bitching about how Americans just can't get ahead. This message is not for people who use the library because books cut into the grocery budget. Nice. (Do married people purchase two copies of books both of them are interested in reading? Besides Bibles...)

As entertaining as I'm sure Krugman's talk will be, I have to clean the cat's "Zen Garden" tonight, which will probably be more edifying.