Here's how Paul Krugman begins his NY Times column today.
I have a theory about the Bush administration abuses of power that are now, finally, coming to light. Ultimately, I believe, they were driven by rising income inequality.
Let me explain.
Let me explain? Is there any more annoying phrase in the New York Times Op-Ed arsenal? It's your column, douchebag. The reason you have it is in order to explain your opinions. You don't need to ask permission.
This stupid verbal tic is both condescending � what are we going to do, not let him explain? � and arrogant. There are people who would kill for space in the New York Times, and you waste yours with this totally unnecessary locution?
Which gets it's own paragraph?
Either learn to write a real segue � one that actually links the idea of one graf to that of the following on � or skip it. It's obviously not necessary to help the reader follow your argument, since it doesn't actually do so.
Krugman has fallen back on this gimmick in the past (at least four times since 2002, according to Nexis), but the real abuser at the Times is Tom Friedman, who has asked our permission to explain 19 times in ten years.
That's like, incessant! Knock it off, both of you.
