answer:First, I’d be curious as to which economists have said this. If they mean it seriously, they are worthy of mocking. I did Google the phrase before I asked this answer-question, of course, and most of what I found was Right-leaning sites parroting that phrase in a mocking sort of way. Thus, I have to wonder if “economists” (which?) have said it at all, traditionally. As for worrying about debt right now, I refer you to my answer to your other question here. And, as far as which economists to listen to, I would leave a piece of advice. Rather than choosing a concept and seeing if any economists support it, choose some economists and see what they have said. If an economist’s views and predictions have come to pass, perhaps other things they’ve said have merit. (Did the economist predict the housing bubble, for example? The Right tends to favor those who said that “nobody could have predicted it.” Yet they still keep listening to them. However, ones that did predict the bubble – perhaps the ones worth listening to? – are saying that now is not the time to worry about debt.) If, however, the economist you’re studying has made predictions that failed to pan out (or missed things like the housing bubble), maybe the other things they say are not necessarily worth listening to. Just because someone says it doesn’t mean it’s factual. This goes for economists just like anyone else.