Former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers: "...you wouldn't want to be European at this moment..."

Austan Goolsbee said it on, of all places, NPR's news show "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me".
From the transcript:

PETER SAGAL, host:
And now, the game where we invite on experts to answer questions about things far outside their area of expertise. Until just last month, Austan Goolsbee was the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Obama White House. Before that, he was a member of the council. And before that, an adviser to the Obama presidential campaign. We expect him to either take the blame for the mess we're in, or convincingly explain why he doesn't have to.
(Soundbite of laughter)

SAGAL: Austan Goolsbee, welcome to WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!.
Mr. AUSTAN GOOLSBEE (Former White House economic adviser): Thank you.
(Soundbite of applause)

SAGAL: Pleasure to have you. So, you're a trained economist who was at the center of the Councils of Economic Advisers in the White House. So our first question is: are we screwed?
Mr. GOOLSBEE: No, but we're just slowly working our way out of it.

SAGAL: Really?
Mr. GOOLSBEE: Yeah.

SAGAL: In kind of a spiral corkscrew motion, I would assume for the screwing.
Mr. GOOLSBEE: Yeah. No, you wouldn't want to be European at this moment. They are screwed, but we're doing okay.
(Soundbite of laughter)

SAGAL: Really?
Mr. GOOLSBEE: Yeah.
SAGAL: Is that what you told yourself in the White House war room in the depth of this current depression? Well, at least we aren't Belgians.
(Soundbite of laughter)

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