The New York Times magazine this weekend had a very good piece by Princeton economics professor Paul Krugman called The Tax Cut Con. As I was reading it last night in bed, I thought that I was going to have an aneurism. If you can take handle a little more depression in your life, Id recommend that you read it.
Krugmans got a book out. I think its called, The Great Unraveling. I doubt Ill actually get around to reading it. (Im still working on Fast Food Nation, a book that I got from Jen as a birthday present last February. And, once I finish it, Ive got Arianna Huffingtons book, Pigs at the Trough, waiting.) Id like to though One day, when I have more time, and when I become the white, male Oprah, Ill assign it to my book club.
The Krugman piece in the Times magazine that I mentioned above is on the tax cut crusade being waged by republicans and the dire straits its putting us in. Its a damned good article. You really should turn off the Friends rerun and read it.
If you want to know more about Krugman and his thoughts concerning the current state of the American economy, heres a recent interview with him that you might like.
Now, Im going to go off on a tangent and tell you about an idea for a screenplay that I had last night, after reading Krugmans article. In a nutshell, it revolves around the life of young George Bush. We meet him in the 80s, when hes at his low-point as an alcoholic. Its at this point, his eyes full of tears, that he prays to God to be born again. In an instant, theres a blinding flash of white light and we see an African American baby being born to a single, teenage mother in a South Central, Los Angeles welfare clinic I dont know how it ends, but I like the idea on a few different levels. Or, maybe its a body switch movie like that one with Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore. Maybe the young George Bush exchanges bodies with a single Hispanic mother of four. I think that has some comedy potential.
