"Hello, Mr. Krugman? If the System Is Corrupt, Aren't You?"

Jonathan Rauch | February 16, 2002

"Enron proposed to rent four days of my time, and I was also expected to put work into presentations. The [$50,000] payment for that time and effort, on a per day basis, was if anything somewhat lower than the payment I was getting for other business presentations. I certainly wasn't getting something for nothing."

-- Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman

***

"Mr. Krugman? Your editor at The Times is on the line. Want to take it?"

"Sure, thanks, Peggy. Hello, Phil?"

"Paul, hi. Just checking in about tomorrow's column. You have a topic?"

"Not sure yet. I thought probably I'd do something on how the Enron scandal proves, yet again, that George W. Bush and his Texas cronies and all their shady friends in the boardrooms of corporate America are out to line their pockets by screwing all the hardworking little guys out of their pensions and livelihoods."

"Sounds good, Paul. Any other possibilities?"

"Maybe something on the Bush budget. How this latest round of tax cuts for the rich, the very rich, the super-rich, and the ultra-rich proves, yet again, that Bush and his Texas cronies and all their shady friends in the boardrooms of corporate America are out to line their pockets by screwing all the hardworking little guys out of their hard-won wages."

"That's good, really good. Anything else? Surprise me."

"Phil, I'm thinking about weighing in on unfettered global capitalism. How it proves, yet again, that Bush and his Davos cronies and all their shady friends in the boardrooms of multinational corporations are out to line their pockets by screwing all the hardworking little guys out of a chance to get ahead."

"I like it. That all?"

"You know, Phil, I thought maybe I should write something on Social Security. How Bush's new plan, in the 2003 budget, to dip into the Social Security surplus to finance his tax cuts proves, yet again, that Bush and his Texas cronies and all their shady friends in the boardrooms of corporate America are out to line their pockets by screwing all the hardworking little guys out of their pensions."

"That's great. They're all great. Go with your gut. You're the best friend the working man in this country has got."

"I know I am. Thanks... right... bye."