In all fairness, the Man of the Year award is given out on the basis of effect, rather than morality. Stalin also possessed it, though I do not know why he and Hitler were given it. Perhaps Time’s editors admired their policies, perhaps they abhorred their genocides, but in any case, I don’t think Bernanke deserves it for any reason. Not only was it not him but Greenspan who lowered interest rates in the early 2000s, but as this article points out, asking a Federal Reserve Chairman to manage the economy is like asking a dog to recite the alphabet.
It’s the same year President Obama has been given the Nobel Prize for Peace before even having the chance to bomb some tribesmen in the Hindu Kush. Should I say something more?
In fact, yes: remember that printed paper medias are dying a slow painful death and any way of paying tribute to the rich and powerful is a great way to get some crumbs thrown in your direction.
… and a follow-up: Impoverisher of the Year