Grasping Reality on TypePad, by Brad DeLong

The Washington Post editorial page surprises Duncan Black with its total idiocy:

Eschaton: I Thought Fred Hiatt's Crayon Scribble Page Could No Longer Surprise Me: Some people might be wrong, and other people might be right, but the worst thing to do would be to give in to the people who might be right, because they are the wrong sort of people. Better to prolong the suffering of millions to keep the hippies away from the cocktail party.

Indeed. Everybody with even a gram of moral fiber working for any of the arms of the Washington Post needs to think very hard about what they are doing--and act appropriately.

This is truly disgusting:

Washington Post Editorial Board: Keeping Greece in the euro zone: Whether Germany’s insistence on austerity and restructuring is correct in principle or not — and there’s ample room for debate on that point — the worst thing to do would be to abandon it in the face of a populist revolt by Syriza or other extremists of the left and right. That would send the wrong signal to those who would create similar mischief across Southern Europe.

If there is to be any relaxation in the austerity program, it should be a reward for a clear Greek vote in favor of continued euro membership on June 17. Unfortunately, Ms. Merkel’s efforts to define the pending election in those terms are being undermined by French President Francois Hollande, who used the recent meeting of European leaders to push for joint “euro bonds” and more money-printing by the European Central Bank.

Though perhaps useful as part of some end-game, after troubled debtor nations have restructured their economies, the measures Mr. Hollande advocates cannot win German support now because Berlin, not unreasonably, believes that they would relieve pressure for necessary reforms. All Mr. Hollande is accomplishing is encouraging those in Greece who seem bent on gambling with their country’s future and the economic health of the world…