An Unusual Economy?

[red states rule]

The real reasons why the Obama economy is not improving




snip


Government intervention may look good to the media but its actual track record -- both today and in the 1930s -- is far worse than the track record of letting the economy recover on its own.

Americans today are alarmed that unemployment has stayed around 9 percent for so long. But such unemployment rates have been common for years in Western European welfare states that have followed policies similar to policies being followed currently by the Obama administration.

Those European welfare states have not only used the taxpayers' money to hand out "free" benefits to particular groups, they have mandated that employers do the same. Faced with higher labor costs, employers have hired less labor.

The vast uncertainties created by ObamaCare create a special problem. If employers knew that ObamaCare would add $1,000 to their costs of hiring an employee, then they could simply reduce the salaries they offer by $1,000 and start hiring.

But, since it will take years to create all the regulations required to carry out ObamaCare, employers today don't know whether the ObamaCare costs that will hit them down the road will be $500 per employee or $5,000 per employee. Even businesses that have record amounts of cash on hand are reluctant to gamble it by expanding their hiring under these conditions.

Many businesses work their existing employees overtime or hire temporary workers, rather than get stuck with unknown and unknowable costs for expanding their permanent work force.

As unusual as 9 percent unemployment rates may seem to the current generation of Americans, unemployment rates stayed in double digits for months and years on end during the 1930s. Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration followed policies very similar to those of the Obama administration today. He also got away with it politically by blaming his predecessor.


http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2011/08/30/an_unusual_economy

[J.T]

Counter-cyclical stimulus spending can be a positive force under certain circumstances, and real investments (infrastructure, education, funding for certain fields of research) can be vital to the ling-term success of the nation.

Unfortunately, all D.C. seems to hear when anyone explains this is 'spending good'- and then they go wild with the national credit card and end up just causing problems.

[red states rule]

Counter-cyclical stimulus spending can be a positive force under certain circumstances, and real investments (infrastructure, education, funding for certain fields of research) can be vital to the ling-term success of the nation.

Unfortunately, all D.C. seems to hear when anyone explains this is 'spending good'- and then they go wild with the national credit card and end up just causing problems.

Obama and the Dems have increased spending by around 28% on all the above items you mentioned, and we have a current GDP of .04%

Only the private sector can create real full time jobs and grow the economy. Obama and the left will never learn that lesson no matter how badly their policies fail

[J.T]

Both parties have increased spending and neither is willing to take a comprehensive approach to overhauling the system- reconsidering every policy from corn, ethanol, and airline subsides to tax rates to protectionism to military aggression to the school lunch program and examining the results and viability of every policy, then basing our continuing policies on results instead of ideology. They're two heads on the same beast, IMO. Neither is willing to do what it really takes on all fronts to fix the system.

[red states rule]

Both parties have increased spending and neither is willing to take a comprehensive approach to overhauling the system- reconsidering every policy from corn, ethanol, and airline subsides to tax rates to protectionism to military aggression to the school lunch program and examining the results and viability of every policy, then basing our continuing policies on results instead of ideology. They're two heads on the same beast, IMO. Neither is willing to do what it really takes on all fronts to fix the system.

Obama and the Dems have added $4 trillion to the national debt in 2 1/2 years. It took Bush 8 years to add the same amount

Dems will never want to reform the tax system since it would take away their power to control businesses and individuals. They have used the tax system to punish success and they will never give that up

[fj1200]

Counter-cyclical stimulus spending can be a positive force under certain circumstances, and real investments (infrastructure, education, funding for certain fields of research) can be vital to the ling-term success of the nation.

That may be true, well, and good but was not the point of the article. You should take another read at the comparisons being made.

[red states rule]

Another no confidence vote for Obama





The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® Declines30 August, 2011
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had improved slightly in July, plummeted in August. The Index now stands at 44.5 (1985=100), down from 59.2 in July. The Present Situation Index decreased to 33.3 from 35.7. The Expectations Index decreased to 51.9 from 74.9 last month.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by The Nielsen Company, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was August 18th.

Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center: "Consumer confidence deteriorated sharply in August, as consumers grew significantly more pessimistic about the short-term outlook. The index is now at its lowest level in more than two years (April 2009, 40.8). A contributing factor may have been the debt ceiling discussions since the decline in confidence was well underway before the S&P downgrade. Consumers' assessment of current conditions, on the other hand, posted only a modest decline as employment conditions continue to suppress confidence."


http://www.conference-board.org/press/pressdetail.cfm?pressid=4276

[Little-Acorn]

Counter-cyclical stimulus spending can be a positive force under certain circumstances,

Horse crap.

Government cannot spend a penny, ever, without first taking it OUT of the economy.

And the harm they do by taking it out, always exceeds the good they do by spending it.

[J.T]

Horse crap.

Government cannot spend a penny, ever, without first taking it OUT of the economy.

And the harm they do by taking it out, always exceeds the good they do by spending it.

Please explain how the Interstate Highway System, which makes modern interstate commerce possible and enables mass production of agricultural goods in one state to be sold on the other side of the nation, providing the backbone for a massive economic boom and expansion of American commerce and production, has cause some great harm that outweighs the existence of contemporary America.

Then please explain how having a standing army, a police force, and a fire department cause more harm than good.

Or are hollow, regurgitated talking points all you have?

[Little-Acorn]

Please explain how the Interstate Highway System, which makes modern interstate commerce possible and enables mass production of agricultural goods in one state to be sold on the other side of the nation, providing the backbone for a massive economic boom and expansion of American commerce and production, has cause some great harm that outweighs the existence of contemporary America.


I detect the presence of a person who believes that if government doesn't do it, nobody will do it.

Isn't he cute?

[J.T]

I accept. Now, since you admit that you can't explain how those things are so terrible, we must acknowledge that your earlier statement was nothing but just plain bullshit talking points. See, you're making progress already! And we didn't even have to get into making interstate commerce regular, the impossibility of any private company undertaking the project for financial reasons and the differing laws and permits needed in every state, or the monopoly on commerce and total control of a significant portion of the economy that would have taken us a step closer to fascism (merging of state and corporate power) that would have resulted in your fantasy world if one company or small cabal of companies could effectively shut down interstate commerce by saying nobody could use the highways.

[ConHog]

Horse crap.

Government cannot spend a penny, ever, without first taking it OUT of the economy.

And the harm they do by taking it out, always exceeds the good they do by spending it.

So you are admitting that your public education was a waste of money? After reading this thread, I might be inclined to agree.

[J.T]

So you are admitting that your public education was a waste of money? After reading this thread, I might be inclined to agree.

Or feeding a young Ronald Reagan...

[red states rule]

Horse crap.

Government cannot spend a penny, ever, without first taking it OUT of the economy.

And the harm they do by taking it out, always exceeds the good they do by spending it.

What is so hard about libs learning the government can't "create" jobs but only the private sector can?

Obama is hyping this speech next week when all it will be is the same failed crap he has tried before?

More "stimulus" that only made the economy worse while using Irene as an excuse to spend more moeny we don't have. R's will oppose the new spending, which is what Obama wants. The liberal media will "report" how Obama's plan would fix the economy but the R's are blocking it for political and racial reasons