Paul Krugman, check your thoughts and your sources! In a blog post titled More Thoughts on Weaponized Keynesianism, Krugman wrote:
Economics, as I say often, is not a morality play. As far as creating aggregate demand is concerned, spending is spending – public spending is as good as but also no better than private spending, spending on bombs is as good as spending on public parks.Economics is not a morality play but spending on bombs is NOT "as good as" spending on parks. In a comment, reader valuethinker from London pointed out that the lowest multiplier estimate for stimulus spending was for defense manufacture. This is not a trivial side issue but the core of the problem. Spending on the wrong things ultimately defeats the purpose of Keynesian stimulus. Keynes knew this. It's a shame Krugman doesn't know his Keynes.
In his post, Krugman also cited "the Kalecki point that admitting that the government can create jobs undermines demands that policies be framed to cater to all-important business confidence." Krugman linked to Rortybomb who linked to MRZine for the Kalecki paper. In that paper, Kalecki had more to say that is germane to Krugman's argument that "spending on bombs is as good as spending on public parks":
One of the important functions of fascism, as typified by the Nazi system, was to remove capitalist objections to full employment.
The dislike of government spending policy as such is overcome under fascism by the fact that the state machinery is under the direct control of a partnership of big business with fascism. The necessity for the myth of 'sound finance', which served to prevent the government from offsetting a confidence crisis by spending, is removed. In a democracy, one does not know what the next government will be like. Under fascism there is no next government.
The dislike of government spending, whether on public investment or consumption, is overcome by concentrating government expenditure on armaments. Finally, 'discipline in the factories' and 'political stability' under full employment are maintained by the 'new order', which ranges from suppression of the trade unions to the concentration camp. Political pressure replaces the economic pressure of unemployment.
So, yes, "spending on bombs is as good as spending on public parks" -- even better if you're a fascist! By the way, Professor Krugman. You still haven't replied to my earlier letter.
