Krugman Blames American Aversion to City Living on Racism

Krugman Blames American Aversion to City Living on Racism

By Mark Finkelstein (Bio | Archive)
May 19, 2008 - 05:52 ET

Paul Krugman is over in Berlin, and—surprise!—concludes that Europeans have things better figured out than we benighted Americans do. The gist of his Stranded in Suburbia in today's NY Times is that dense cities like Berlin, which offer good public transportation, are the solution to the high gasoline prices we are seemingly stuck with. Krugman contrasts Berlin and Atlanta:

Greater Atlanta has roughly the same population as Greater Berlin — but Berlin is a city of trains, buses and bikes, while Atlanta is a city of cars, cars and cars.

So why don't more Americans choose to live in big cities? After citing the current lack of good public transportation and the durability of suburban housing, Krugman points his accusing liberal's finger at his fellow Americans [emphasis added]:

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And there are, as always in America, the issues of race and class. Despite the gentrification that has taken place in some inner cities, and the plunge in national crime rates to levels not seen in decades, it will be hard to shake the longstanding American association of higher-density living with poverty and personal danger.

Krugman thus suggests that cities aren't really poorer or more dangerous than the suburbs. It's just something in the mind of those "race and class" obsessed [read: racist] Americans.

Let's test Krugman's hypothesis, focusing on Atlanta since that's the city he singled out. Digging around a bit, I found the following data:

Atlanta poverty rate [2004]: 27.8%
National suburban poverty rate [2005]: 9.4%

So Atlanta has about three times more poverty than suburbia.

And crime? This table includes data for the crime rate in urban Atlanta and suburban Atlanta, measured in crimes per 100,000 population.

Atlanta (suburbs): 4,799
Atlanta (city): 13,489

Once again, the ratio is just under 3:1.

So statistics demonstrate that Americans' perceptions of cities as poorer and more dangerous is based on reality, not racism. But like the good liberal he is, Krugman chooses to accuse his compatriots of base motives.

Dispatch from the Department of Do-as-I-Say-Not-as-I-Do

According to his bio at the Center for American progress, "Krugman and his wife live in the Princeton area with their two cats. " Even "inner-city" Princeton would be tony enough for most. But apparently that's a bit too urban for the Times columnist who lives in the Princeton "area." Sounds mighty . . . suburban.

—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.

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"...cities as poorer and

May 19, 2008 - 06:07 ET by heldmyw

"...cities as poorer and more dangerous is based on reality, on racism."

I think that is probably intended to be "NOT racism".

Once again Krugman shows his complete lack of journalistic ability, his Goebbels-like dedication to the propaganda of the Party, and his hatred of America.

I am shocked. [\sarc]

Thanks for bringing the typo

May 19, 2008 - 06:18 ET by Mark Finkelstein

Thanks for bringing the typo to my attention! Fixed now.

good job Mark, Its like all

May 19, 2008 - 06:19 ET by USA4freedom

good job Mark,

Its like all of the libs looking down from their private jets and telling each other: look at those idiots in their SUV's don't they know they are killing the planet..

Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.

Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.

Romney / Jendil 2012 (if,we survive)

I caught the same

May 19, 2008 - 06:26 ET by motherbelt

I caught the same typo....I'm sure Mark will have it fixed toot-sweet. LOL

Former Enron adviser Paul Krugman -(James Taranto) is, I guess, still doing penance for that previous career by lecturing the rest of us.

Update: See? Toldja....fixed already!

Krugman not owrth the time

May 19, 2008 - 09:51 ET by jweaver

As someone that lives in Atlanta, race has little to do with lack of trains and buses (MARTA anyone?) The public transportation in Atlanta is a joke, do to the corrupt City and lack of population. Atlanta has been a dying city for quite sometime, but it is changing. Krugman is almost always wrong and never has facts. I pity his students...

J. Weaver

scoffery.com

i live in a little town

May 19, 2008 - 06:22 ET by JWF

Population 3000.

Biggest danger: 80+ year old drivers running stop signs because they didn't see them.

The only reason we have trains and buses in the cities is because they are subsidised. Otherwise they would be losing money and go out of business.

It is called oil Krugman, it is still the cheapest form of energy going.

If Europe is so great why

May 19, 2008 - 06:35 ET by tater

If Europe is so great why aren't the enlightened liberals taking their private jets and their money they've raked in from global warming hysteria and the going green pyramid scheme and setting up citizenship in the European country of choice. Hypocrites!

"They need to have a course in college called common sense and everyone should take it. Problem is there isn't too many people that could pass or teach it." -my grandfather

Where does Krugman live...

May 19, 2008 - 06:40 ET by gopsteve

Where does Krugman live...

c'mon, Steve, you've gotta

May 19, 2008 - 06:42 ET by Mark Finkelstein

c'mon, Steve, you've gotta read the whole item. See the Dispatch at the foot . . .

I'm guessing that there

May 19, 2008 - 13:46 ET by malcum

I'm guessing that there aren't too many "Boat People" living in Krugman's neighborhood.

Other big city negatives

May 19, 2008 - 07:01 ET by JWF

Don't forget the high taxes, pollution, high density of liberals, high prices, small places to live, too many liberals, lack of green, propensity to attract hippy whiners etc.

and don't forget

May 19, 2008 - 07:06 ET by VT Con Man

all the liberals...

ooooowwww!

May 19, 2008 - 07:11 ET by JWF

Freaky. We must have been thinking the same thing at the same time. Are you watching the birds outside your back window too? I supplement my bird food with dried hippy protein (made with ground hippy)

This "(made with ground

May 19, 2008 - 08:20 ET by Dan The Man 2

This "(made with ground hippy)" reminds me of the joke I heard in one of the Adams family movies. The little girl Wednesday said "Are your girl scout cookies made from real girl scouts?"

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

oooowwwwww is right...

May 19, 2008 - 11:47 ET by VT Con Man

I live in the woods, unfortunately, the woods even have annoying libs around here...at least the big lot keeps them at bay.

So It's Racism?

May 19, 2008 - 07:23 ET by Chasvs

Black on Black crime which is resident in ALL large inner cities and one of the reasons people don't feel comfortable in city living is because of RACISM?

Go figure. I thought it was the Black culture that loves the gansta and the bitch and the drugs...

Nah, that's not it, it Whitey! His fault one again, and he's gotta pay!

We are SO SCREWED!

»→ Of course Chas

May 19, 2008 - 07:36 ET by Cool Arrow

You don't see Rev. Wright retiring among all those young men he poisoned with the gospel of hopelessness.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

No RACISM There!

May 19, 2008 - 10:21 ET by Chasvs

Your right on that one!

Amazing the MSM hasn't seen the Racism in that!

Of course the only people that can be accused of Racism are the Whites! You know 65% who voted for hillary. When 90% of blacks vote for BHO, that's pride!

We are SO SCREWED! The Libs know it and they love it!

How about bigger yards

May 19, 2008 - 07:51 ET by WingletDriver

I've been to Berlin and several other large cities in Europe. As in big cities in the US, folks who live in Berlin do not have any yards. They live in tiny shacks or apartments even in the suburbs unless they've got a few million Euros. Furthermore, property taxes are outrageous in most of Europe and prevent people from owning any house worth comparing to US standards. I'm sure a "brilliant" economist should have been able to realize that elbow room, confiscatory taxes and excessive property costs are a factor on choosing where to live.

As are the higher cost of gasoline (inhibiting commuting from the suburbs), higher unemployment (Germany's is 12.6%), lower wages, etc.

Cars

May 19, 2008 - 08:45 ET by KC Mulville

I confess, I was agreeing with everything Krugman said, until he dropped the racism cheap shot.

I have an unfortunate history with cars. I'm a car-breakdown-magnet. I've come to hate them. I hate haggling for them. I hate financing them. I hate the hassle of maintaining them. I hate the hassle of repairing them. All of this, and for what in return? The right to sit in traffic jams on various Beltways? I hate everything about cars.
I'm all for a decent public transit system, complemented by limited use of more efficient cars.
I also think telecommuting is important: if you can do your work at home (i.e., anyone who uses a computer), then you should stay at home and free up the roads.

I rarely agree with Krugman, and his adoration of Europe is a little shallow. But I'd love to see society develop away from this addiction to cars.

"I confess, I was agreeing

May 19, 2008 - 10:22 ET by celator

"I confess, I was agreeing with everything Krugman said, until he dropped the racism cheap shot."

I lived in Berlin almost three years, and while it's a very interesting city, and I enjoyed it very much, there is certainly racism there. Many Turks and Pakistanies have moved there over the years (to do the work Berliners won't do--sound familiar?) and the level of racism and bigotry Berliners have against these two groups is astonishing.

Berliners (speaking in huge generalities here, for sure) don't much like several other groups: people from Southern Germany, the French, the English, the Italians, the Spanish etc etc.

As it happens, they kinda like Americans, so they aren't all bad ;+}.

Here's the difference: for

May 19, 2008 - 10:48 ET by robert108

Here's the difference: for personal reasons, you want to use public transportation, and you are free to choose to do that, and to direct your resources toward that end. I, on the other hand, along with the vast majority of Americans, prefer to use personal transportation, and don't want our freedom to make that choice taken away from us to serve your needs. Understand?

It's the difference between individualism and collectivism. Collectivism requires enforcement, whereas individualism does not.

Oh, I understand ...

May 19, 2008 - 14:33 ET by KC Mulville

I'm really curious, however, about a couple questions.

You leapt to the conclusion that I was "taking away your choices" in a "collectivist" coup. In fact, I only said that I was hoping for people to become less addicted to cars -- how is that collectivist? Compare it with smoking. That's a personal preference that I wish fewer people engaged in, for their own good. That doesn't necessarily mean that I want the state to impose anything. I just want the individuals to choose differently.

But even if I wasn't advocating personal conversion, let's play the devil's advocate. Where did you get the idea that you have an individual right to drive a personal car?

Sure, the auto companies love to peddle that idea (your car gives you freedom!) but that's just advertising.
The first thing the state tells you is that driving is a privilege, not a right. There's a reason for that. Cars require a social infrastructure of roads, traffic lights, and everything else that goes with your personal driving. There's also the opportunity cost in that your personal driving raises the price of gas for everyone else.
You can drive a car only because society collectively agrees to maintain that infrastructure. Since Americans currently agree to it, collectively, that's fine. We all love democracy.
But make no mistake - that's a collective choice. You have no individual right to it. If America decides that personal transportation is too costly to maintain, you're out of luck, pal.

For pete's sake, it's just a car. The idea that your car is a crucial component of your personal liberty is a bit of a stretch, don't you think?

Krugman's folly.

May 19, 2008 - 08:59 ET by pocomoco

If you’ve traveled to cities in Europe, Asia, and Africa you’ll will notice that they do not have suberbias. Most live in apartments in the inner city which is why they have the transportation systems they have. Krugman, being in Berlin, should have noticed it immediately as I did when I traveled there.

So, him equating foreign cities to American cities - is pure balderdash.

Who cares Krugman?

May 19, 2008 - 09:29 ET by jefflebowski

Who cares what a tired, old worn out, tortured ex-hippie thinks. It has been the same old crap that these guys have spewed out since the 60's. Nobody wants to live in bad areas...no matter what color.

I live north of Dallas because I wouldn't dare send my kids to Dallas schools with the monsters that attend those schools. And, yes, they are vast majority black and brown. What a disaster zone the Dallas ISD is!

Like I've said, the libs can call me "racist" or anything else. They don't matter to me and they don't do anything for me. I'll live where I damn well please. I am not afraid of being called "racist" by left wing idiots. I wish more white people...especially our elected politicians (we don't have leaders) would feel the same.

Jeff Lebowski - Racist to the left

Not me, I moved to the burbs

May 19, 2008 - 10:37 ET by mattm

Not me, I moved to the burbs to get away from Liberals....but, sadly there are alot of them there, too.

I think it's pretty clear

May 19, 2008 - 10:43 ET by robert108

I think it's pretty clear that Obama, supported by the MSM, is essentially running on the platform of "vote for me or you're a racist". So, the MSM(aided by the UN) will be accusing Americans of racism in every way possible from now until the election.

It's possible that we'll be

May 19, 2008 - 13:58 ET by malcum

It's possible that we'll be so sick of hearing about slavery, racism, et al by November that no whites will vote for him. The MSM doesn't seem to have any idea that they're over-the-top in rubbing our noses in it. Maybe they realize they screwed up and helped put forth a loser of McGovern proportions and this will be their sole platform.

Make It Stop!

May 19, 2008 - 11:23 ET by Gothampc

Please, I'm begging you, make it stop. I can't take liberal thought anymore.

Why does some editor hate trees so much that they waste paper by printing such idiotic opinions? If I had written this in college, I would have failed the course.

As we all know that over the last 200+ years (since America's founding), Berlin has been a model city. Why except for that brief period where they were exterminating Jews and then that brief period where the city was divided by Communism, Berlin has been a shining beacon to the world.

I cannot tolerate Krugman...

May 19, 2008 - 11:44 ET by Clear thinker

I don't care what this clowns opinions are because I learned a long time ago that he's a dishonest low life, and will go to any extreme to dump on his own country.

While he's in Berlin I would like to see his Passport revoked.

"Abstain from McCain"

Passports

May 19, 2008 - 12:24 ET by Gothampc

"While he's in Berlin I would like to see his Passport revoked."

They wouldn't revoke it for people who really hate this country, like terrorist lovers Jimmy Carter and Nancy Pelosi, then they won't revoke it for a liberal "intellectual". I think the least they could do is detain them all for a few hours and put them through Gitmo-like questioning.

I vote for water boarding...

May 19, 2008 - 17:55 ET by Clear thinker

"Abstain from McCain"

Krugman-Typical Elitist Snob

May 19, 2008 - 12:43 ET by Wildcatter1980

First, Europe has more "public" transportation because they have taxed gasoline (since WW2) much more than the USA ever has. The reason was that those nations had to rebuild after the war and needed to channel their resources into that rather than people driving cars.

Second, many European cities were built hundreds of years before even internal combustion engines were first made. As a result, it is difficult for cars to get around many of those cities.

When you add in what Mark points out, it is evident that Krugman started with his conclusion and worked back to justify it.