Ilves, Krugman Feud on the Nets
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman devoted 65 words to debunking the Estonian miracle on his blog, drawing an equally concise reaction from President Toomas Hendrik Ilves on Twitter.
In a post entitled "Estonian Rhapsody" on his New York Times blog, the noted Keynesian and Eurozone skeptic trotted out one of the exhibits that officials talk less about in Estonia - the fact that real GDP is still 10 percent off the high water mark of 2007.
Ilves, who minces no words on his Twitter account, issued a cutting rejoinder: "Let's write about something we know nothing about & be smug, overbearing & patronizing."
Although Krugman's poisonous reminder appeared to be occasioned by the latest round of articles praising Estonia in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Ilves also suggested the spat could be a personal issue with roots farther back.
"Guess a Nobel in trade means you can pontificate on fiscal matters & declare my country a 'wasteland.' Must be a Princeton vs Columbia thing."
Krugman had yet to respond as of Thursday morning.
Kristopher Rikken