Why the far-right is set on painting a ‘dire portrait’ of America’s collapse: Krugman – By Carl Gibson (Alternet) / Nov 8, 2023
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman is casting doubt on the far right’s patriotism in his latest essay, arguing conservatives’ hatred of diversity, postmodern values and big cities translates to a hatred of America itself.
Krugman’s new column, entitled “Why Does the Right Hate America,” insinuates that the most popular right-wing concerns — like the hand-wringing over urban blight and crime, declining birth and marriage rates, and the uptick in addiction and suicide rates — are both overblown and misplaced. In fact, Krugman argues, American society is overall much safer and stable than right-wing pundits would have us believe.
“[B]etween 1990 and the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic there was a broad-based U.S. urban resurgence, largely driven by the return to city life of a significant number of affluent Americans, who increasingly valued the amenities cities can offer and were less worried by violent crime, which plunged after 1990,” Krugman wrote. “True, some of the fall in crime was reversed during the pandemic, but it seems to be receding again. And Americans are coming back to urban centers: Working from home has reduced downtown foot traffic during the week, but weekend visitors are more or less back to prepandemic levels.”
CONTINUE > https://www.alternet.org/right-portrait-america-krugman/
