It looks like the collapsing economy that the Democrats and their liberal press allies have been: (a) predicting or (b) claiming has already begun has been debunked by reality yet again.
Although the US has been at full employment for the last five years, the highly productive economy continued to add jobs and raise wages in November. The November job and wage report follows closely on the heels of other developments, like the faster than expected” 3.8% growth in the third quarter of ‘07 (the quarter when the housing market “collapse” was supposed to have started a recession); the continuing rapid growth in US productivity (at a four year high); and the continued strength of manufacturing orders.
Of course, when you read stories that headline good news you will find the “better than expected” language dominate the articles. Amazingly, even after five years of boom the scant coverage of positive economic developments remains mired in the template of pessimism every positive development is qualified with the language of surprise at the performance and expressions of fear for the future.
Try as the might, liberals cannot change reality. However, if one reads the economic coverage of the Clinton years, particularly in 99 and 2000 when the economy was clearly slowing into a recession and the economic performance was worse than expected and compare it with the contemporary healthy economy, you can’t say they don’t try.
Although the US has been at full employment for the last five years, the highly productive economy continued to add jobs and raise wages in November. The November job and wage report follows closely on the heels of other developments, like the faster than expected” 3.8% growth in the third quarter of ‘07 (the quarter when the housing market “collapse” was supposed to have started a recession); the continuing rapid growth in US productivity (at a four year high); and the continued strength of manufacturing orders.
Of course, when you read stories that headline good news you will find the “better than expected” language dominate the articles. Amazingly, even after five years of boom the scant coverage of positive economic developments remains mired in the template of pessimism every positive development is qualified with the language of surprise at the performance and expressions of fear for the future.
Try as the might, liberals cannot change reality. However, if one reads the economic coverage of the Clinton years, particularly in 99 and 2000 when the economy was clearly slowing into a recession and the economic performance was worse than expected and compare it with the contemporary healthy economy, you can’t say they don’t try.
41 comments:
As the saying goes, a conservative is a liberal who has been thrown up on reality.
Oops.
A conservative is a liberal who has been thrown up on BY reality.
missed a critical word.
To stay even wages need to rise 25%compensate for the depreciation of the dollar against the euro and stronger currencies. This is a real issue in a globalized economy.
Towards the end of Tito's life Yugoslavia held things together with inflation. Recall him joking during a visit to a Yugo factory how all the workers were millionaires in zoltys (zolty=gold in Serbo-Croatian.
Mark Klein, you should know by now that everything is not an anecdote. You have to discriminate. You choose things that are funny or mildly amusing or interesting. You're a miracle! Your posts have NONE of that. They're not even amusing, or interesting, ACCIDENTALLY! "Honey, I'd like you to meet Mark Klein, he's got some amusing anecodotes for you. Oh and here's 25 valium. You'll thank me for it." I could tolerate any insurance seminar. For days I could sit there and listen to them go on and on with a big smile on my face. They'd say, "How can you stand it?" I'd say, "'Cause I've been in the same room with Mark Klein. I can take ANYTHING." You know what they'd say? They'd say, "I know what you mean. The crazy old man who thinks he should be President. Woah!" It's like going on a date with a Chatty Cathy doll. I expect you have a little string on your chest, you know, that I pull out and have to snap back. Except I wouldn't pull it out and snap it back - you would. Agh! Agh! Agh! Agh! And by the way, you know, when you're telling these little stories? Here's a good idea - have a POINT. It makes it SO much more interesting for the reader!
PERFECT! I totally agree and I loved that movie. Of course Dr. Klein was like 80 when it came out in 87 but no matter it really sums up his attitude. Of course John Candy was a amusing rather than delusional but the comparison does work.
- Little Buddy
"I guess it's true what they say about the elderly. Though they're slow and dangerous behind the wheel, they can still serve a useful purpose. Now, don't you go dying on me!"
-Jim Carey from Dumb and Dumber
Did you all see the Newsweek poll? Huckabee surging 22 points ahead of Romney!! Amazing. And Obama continues to lead on the D side.
Although I have been predicting this Huckaboom since the straw poll, I still think the Newsweek poll is an anamoly.
Huck is loveable and clever. He also governs from a very centrist position, which is both good and bad depending on the issue.
Huck laid out an immigration plan today, also very smart. Its the hottest issue on our side, and frankly, much hotter for the Ds than their candidates presently reflect.
Yes the old full unemployment routine. I rememmber that during Reagans years that 6% unemployment was considered full employment. Now The measuring tools have changed and many folks fall through the reporting system. Klein is right that when you consider the devaluation of the dollar and stagnant wages that people are hurting. The Bush administration has proven to the American people that none of their statements can be trusted. As a result most people will not believe any republican. People are working just at jobs that don't keep up with inflation or where there are no benefits. When Romney and Huck talk about strong families maybe they should concentrate on the economy as fair wages that prevent financial worries will prevent much family strife
Ted
Though I do rag you, you were spot on about Huckabee's potential for a surge back in the summer. The times are very fluid as Huck has yet to face any real scrutiny. I just wish that we would stop electing our leaders from the Southern states . You know those states with the lowest education levels, the lowest health levels, the highest illigetimacy, welfare and divorce rate despite the highest claim to Christian beliefs. Always remember that the only the Southerners can be labeled as traitors due to that secession thing.
I am hoping that the GOP folks get some sense and give us a more secular candidate than a Baptist minister or a mainstream mormoms. Do you really think that Religion and politician can co exist in the same mind? Not possible!
Enough with the heavy political heart burn discussion. Posted this in the London Times in response to the below linked article about UK "pickup" courses for guys.
"With so few straight available employed men who bathe daily and wear clean clothes nowadays amazing so many men have problems picking up girls.
Here's the advice I gave to my youngest son in adolescence when he asked me about picking up girls. Explained what I did with considerable success when I still cared about chasing women as a parable I concocted entitled "The Lions and the Antelopes". The lions are really antelopes in disguise except they don't know it. The antelopes know they are really lions. Hence I told the youngster no point in hunting women. Better to stand still so you're easier to catch. Seemed dubious at first but several months later reported with a big smile I was dead on right!"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article2976222.ece?Submitted=true
Blogging here brings to mind doing psychotherapy with alcohoics, drug addicts, habitual gamblers, and manics in complete denial of the precariousness of their situations!
Absent a major reform accompanied by new leadership the GOP is just about through as a credible political force in this country. The party leadership believes in nothing but expediency and openly cheats when it can't get its way.
From the horseshit I've gotten from the party over manipulated straw polls now convinced Gore was cheated out of the White House.
Typical of so many of Republicans I've met yesterday had a very long chat with a very upscale, educated New Hampshire couple at one of politician friendly New Hampshire cafes which allow campaigning. Grandparents like me, they believe GOP policies hurt the children. They also despise the party's disregard of fiscal restaint, and like but all but a few folks I've met on the campaign trail, think we should be out of Iraq.
In the end the addicted and manics usually have to hit bottom by losing everything before seeking efective help. As I wrote on this blog before, I'll be out the door January 9th, 2008 if I can't get a credible vote in New Hampshire. Why? Means there simply aren't thoughtful people left in the GOP to make it worthwhile to stay.
I'm making a serious effort to get the word out here. Have signs posted at key intersections in GOP areas and freeway approaches with the result when I meet folks to chat and hand out brochures many say they've seen them and wondered who I was. So far I have handed out 5000+ borchures.
Thrown in the towel on the Iowa caucuses. They are rigged this year to ensure Huckabee wins. I doubt were I to do well the results would be even reported.
To start the reform process the first thing the national party should do is put an end to promoting the total charade the Iowa caucuses is today.
Mark, I know you are a lonely old man with nothing better to do. I'm sure you've alienated all your family and every friend you've ever had. But for the sweet love of Christ do you have to excrete this shit onto these blogs every day? The way you humiliate yourself used to be laughable, moving to sad, and then just plain annoying. But now you've moved even beyond that. You're just an arrogant, know it all, asshole with nothing better to do that spout off how rich you are, how smart you are, and how superior you are to the rest of us. And now you've taken your act global! The London Times? (6:52 AM Post) Why stop there? Onward to Moscow, Beijing; the Klein World Tour 2008! You'll be bigger than Billy Graham, or the Beatles! Scheeze, talk about your ugly American (both figuratively and literally).
My thoughts exactly!
Boom? Are you kidding? Come on.
You are living in a fantasy world!
You need to pay attention to Robert Reich!
As I have written on my blog:
"US national debt of $5 trillion. Americans also enjoyed the luxury of consuming more than they produced. The balance of trade deficit grew from $80 billion in 1990 to a projected level of more than $700 billion in 2007. This is more than 5 percent of the country's GDP.
America paid for its economic boom by borrowing money. For years, huge amounts of capital have been flowing from poorer emerging economies into the United States, the richest nation on earth. This influx of foreign capital, most of it coming from the Far East, amounts to roughly $2 billion a day."
http://immigrationmexicanamerican.blogspot.com/2007/12/global-economy-dollar-nosedive-and.html
Dear Critics--In your dreams I'll stop saying what I think here in TRS or elsewhere. Pretty rich I get cheated openly by the Iowa GOP after winning fair and square Ted's online straw poll outright with 52% to then get removed and then be barred from the ballot at Ames to end up criticized for complaining! Pretty sure I could have beaten Romney at Ames with 30-45 days to campaign.
Real leadership isn't the laminated cardboard cutouts both major parties are trying to foist on the electorate. Rather it is the strength of character to think one's own thoughts, endure criticism, and accept the price of progress is on occaision alienating some people. Never really understood under the Exodus story, or Christ's, until I embarked on this political journey.
Never easy contending with the Pharisees which exist in every generation, and in every place.
I agree 100% with Dee's comment. All our "growth" was bought with borrowed money. Basically our economy is suffering from a severe, perhaps fatal case, of Type II financial diabetes courtesy of the "conservatives" of the Party of Lincoln.
A blog lets people easily post comments onto a webpage. While blogs have many purposes, some of which can be useful, most people seem to use blogs as a way of having an online diary. These people have such massive egos and are so narcissistic that they believe that other people would be interested in reading their pointless ramblings. Even more disturbing is the fact that many people have such boring lives that they have nothing better to do than to read these stupid online diaries. They just feed the egos of the "bloggers" and encourage them to continue posting nonsense. Hopefully, "blogging" will turn out to be just a fad that passes quickly.
Enter one Mark Klein..........
While my critics on TRS were stewing about me today, I got on FOX live in the best possible way. Campaigning arrived at a restaurant where I planned to have lunch and pass our brochures just as FOX was setting up for a live segment about the campaign at the place.
Introduced myself to the reporter and her producer who were very pleased to have a live candidate to include in the 2 minute segment.
To the previous poster, blogging is not just entertainment for the bored and the stupid souls haunting TRS. Blogs can influence critical business decisions as I expect this one I submitted today to the New York Times about choosing a new CEO at Citigroup will.
"My instincts go for Richard M. Kovacevich, the chairman of Wells Fargo. Of all my companies, financial and otherwise, Wells is the best run. Evidence of that is it was the least affected of the major money center banks by the subprime meltdown. Share and dividend performance since I started accumulating it 25-30 years ago are nothing short of magnificent.
All the Citigroup execs under consideration are tainted.
The only issue at hand is finding someone whose motto is "Keep it simple, stupid". Citigroup is the financial equivalent of the medieval church living large on mandatory tithes and sharecropping profits. Maybe those cooking up Citgroup's truly mindblowing ridiculous money losing schemes should call my psychiatric office first thing Monday to schedule a series of electroshock treatments."
Mark, please post your FOX News clip on YOU TUBE and report back after having done so.
Thank you.
Ken--Sorry don't have a copy. Unlikely to get one anytime soon.
Sporer,
I obviously don't have a good on-the-ground feel for the R race in Iowa. But, I'm thinking the fact that Romney's state director has not bothered to put up a yard sign for his guy is not a very good sign for Romney.
Volunteered at the Oprah/Obama event today. Quite a crowd. It can't hurt Obama, but it will be interesting to see if it actually helps him. If nothing else, they got 10,000+ names with contact info. Surely some new names in the mix.
Re rf's comment Romney's and Obama's odds at the bookmakers remain unimpressive.
Obama's unelectable because as Ian Richardson's prime minister character "FU" in the brilliant "House of Cards" series would say about inherently weak people, "He has no bottom."
Clinton's strength is she's the only man in the Democratic race.
So we have 3.7% growth, huh? I guess Social Security won't be going broke after all. Good thing we never "fixed" it.
Enough with the heavy political heart burn discussion. Posted this in the Bumbleweed Times and World Post because both Kathmandu and Timbuktu had website with people writing in other languages and my universal translator stopped working. Anyway, I just knew everyone all over the world needed to know that crazy people in the US can run for President and not be locked up for being a public spectacle.
Posting things on foreign blogs seems to be the last refuge of his delusional mind and one has to be thankful he's not entirely mobile or we'd fear him in the shopping malls! Oh, I don't mean shoot 'em up style or anything as Dr. Klein doesn't appear to be that deranged but who knows what he's capable of doing with a little more energy. my guess is he would stage gross protests Alice Cooper style or maybe sit on the benches calling out to all the women just how handsome and rich he is at 75 yrs old..... Regardless, the man's completely bent and I, like veryone else save for maybe three really weird people on the entire web, do not appreciate his out of this world statements. I appreciate TRS refuses to respond to him as that is the best COA but for those of us who cannot hold off I find myself responding knowing full well I am probably egging him on. He's like the kid who bullies picked on incessantly and now he has found a way to get back by blogging.
Klein, whoever beat the shit out of you when you were young is not on this blog. We are not the ones who held you down all these years so please, for the LOVE OF GOD, leave us alone!!!!! If you must blog on foreign blogs feel free to keep your sage advice overseas but don't bring it over to us as you're more than wasting our time.
Final advice is for you to up your self medication and take a vacation outside the US. In the meantime, I am sure you will take none of this advice and we'll see you on this blog long after you get completely stomped in the Iowa Caucuses. The only relieve we'll get from you is when you get too sick to blog or move on to the afterlife.
Sorry to be so mean but nothing seems to get through to you as you spout conspiracy theories to explain why you're not the damn front runner.
Above commentator: "...you spout conspiracy theories to explain why you're not the damn front runner."
Sorry, bud, but I've got every right to be pissed off getting 52% fair and square on Ted's poll to then be booted off and permanently barred. Could well be the front runner today in Iowa had I been allowed to compete at Ames. Particularly galling is Leon Mosley and Ted Sporer promised me in person I'd be on it by paying the $15,000 listing fee. In fact reassured Leon the night before I'd already written the check to have Craig Robinson the next morning tell me as an unknown I was unqualified for a listing. No problem taking John Cox's check. He didn't have a snow ball's chance in hell to make any showing!
Doing everything I can to win the New Hampshire primary. Even I don't get one vote, no way you MFers' insults and drivel here on TRS or elsewhere will drive me off.
To send that message 4 x 4 placed my new larger Mark Klein for President signs along the exit road from the Manchester Airport. They'll be the first thing my opponents will see when come to NH for 30 nanosecond staged campaign events!
Gotta scoot. It's 6 am. Want to be on the trail at 7am to start campaigning at the politician friendly diners and shopping malls packed with Christmas shoppers. Lotta ground to cover today. I'll peek in on TRS from time to time to reply to anti-Klein stink bombs!
The early bird gets the worm as was the case yesterday when by chance ran into a FOX news crew doing a live story about the campaign. The cameraman knew me. Met him around midnight a couple of days before campaigning in a 24 hour diner!
You are totally nutz!
I vote we Kick Dr. Klein off the island and whenever he makes a comment it gets deleted!
Any other takers?
Dee, while I agree that the debt issue poses long term risk, that risk is not presently manifested.
Do you support restricting federal spending to only those core functions that can only be done by the federal government? I do.
Spotlight,
GDP growth is largely unrelated to social security solvency. Even the fastest growing economy imagineable would generate insufficient revenue to overcome the economic and demographic realities of the social security mess.
Remember, we Boomers will swamp the social security system without taxes becoming confiscatory or benefits delayed or reduced.
Anon 5:06. You focus on the anamolies of the economy. The cirucmstances you describe afflict a small minority of the American population.
You need to look at a far larger picutre when opining as to national policy. The national population is not in dire straits and gross and long term damage can be done by over reaacting to the plight of a minority.
Ted--"The national population is not in dire straits and gross and long term damage can be done by over reacting to the plight of a minority."
You sound like Herbert Hoover after the crash. Only thing that keeps things afloat is consumers are still able to accumulate unrepayable credit card in mortgage debt.
Pretty sure I got the vote of a 70ish man, and perhaps some of his family and friends, working as greeter in a Manchester Home Depot. Complained after a lifetime of good paying blue collar work his social security and pension are inadequate. Heard the same thing today in a rock ribbed NH village from an elderly couple.
At the other end of the end scale college students tell me they are swamped with educational debt. I came of age when we still governed by responsible grownups who put the children first. Hence my $1000 annual NY Regents Scholarship paid my premed tuition. Low income students at SUNY med schools
paid $200 annually.
Thinking about this because my youngest graduate college this month. Probably will go to law schoo. Steeling myself for the bad financial news given when his older brother graduated from a top law school law school 4-5 years ago the freight then was $60K annually.
Suggest readers visit the very well curated Herbert Hoover Museum at West Branch. Gave me the willies reading the same old same old prosperity shtick today's Republicans peddle when it just ain't so.
Taking a break for a few hours. Will be back on the road again tonight.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071209/ap_po/republican_race_new_hampshire
yet not one word about klein...
"Ken Hoyle said...
Mark, please post your FOX News clip on YOU TUBE and report back after having done so.
Thank you.
MARK KLEIN, M.D. said...
Ken--Sorry don't have a copy. Unlikely to get one anytime soon."
Question and Response. Cut and pasted exactly.
Oh yooo hooo, yoo hooo!
Mark Klein, Mark Klein!
What a big man you are! What a big man you are. There's nobody you don't know, there's nobody you don't talk to, there's nobody you don't have pull with, you've beaten P&G, you've bested GE, you've testified before Congressional committees, Wall Street folks follow your every move, you got 52% on Ted's poll - - all this by your own admission!
And you mean to tell me, you can't get a copy of your piece on FOX News? As big a man as you are? With all that you control? With all your pull? Shit, man, there should be well over 500 hundred copies on YOU TUBE just by your will alone!
So where is the clip, asshole? Where is it? You're such a hero, you're so big! Where is it? You even said said you knew the camera man! Where is it?
Could this whole fucking thing be a sham? A lie? A fantasy cooked up by some lonely old man with nothing else to do? Prove me wrong, Mark. Prove me wrong! Post the clip right now! You know you've got the power, you've got the pull! Come on, at long last prove me wrong!
You've called me a mopron, an ass, a fool, even a "MF'er". Well now's you chance, pal. Prove me wrong, do it!
Hey Klein, while you at it with Iguna's request, how about setting the record straight on that phony threat claim you trumped up about two months ago - the one nobody else but you saw.
Way to go, fellas. Call that schmuck's bluff and all we hear in response is the sound of crickets chirping..........
You're a real winner Klein, a real winner.
Damnation!
I have rendered Klein speechless!
I win!
Sorry Bob Sack, Sorry Hoyle, Sorry anonymous, Sorry Ken Richards, Sorry all! I win! I rendered Klein speechless!
A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha . A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !
The Iguana has done the impossible - so far!
I have high hopes the Iguana is right since Klein contributes nothing to the debate with his craziness. At some point there will be an election and a Republican or Democrat will be our next President. Mark Klein will remain unknown on that cold Novemeber day but the question remains will he still be running for President?
He might as well be planning a lunar launch from his backyard using model rockets strapped to his car as both aspirations have the same probability of success.
So have we heard the last from Klein? We shall see Rabbit, We shall see.......
I don't understand how huckabee could be running so well when he's raised a son to bring loaded guns through airports, slit the throat of dogs. Also, the convicted murderers he's paroled, and the crappy fiscal/immigration records the guy has. Iowa, please dig deeper underneath the surface, all Huck is is a sunny exterior and a shallow interior.
From the AP:
Citigroup, the country’s largest bank and one of the biggest casualties of the turmoil in the credit markets, named Vikram S. Pandit as its chief executive Tuesday.
That's funny because Mark Klein posted in here that he had told the boys at Citi to appoint someone else, a Richard Kovacevich. I can't understand why Citi didn't do what Mark Klein told them to do. Could it be that Mark Klein's just a fucking liar and does not have as much pull as he's led us to believe? Say it ain't so, Mark. Say it ain't so!
To bad those numbers are garbage and you don't actually research the BLS deathmodel. Do you really believe that construction added jobs when housing is slowing?
And what are these guys in the banks doing? Why are they running around in a panic?
Fed Leads Drive to Strengthen Bank System
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/13/business/13fed.html
And here is an economic analysis which I agree with.
Reasons for an impending US economic recession (Old Article)
http://www.dailyreckoning.co.uk/article/09082006.html
And last but not least. In the end we are all Americans. When the door finally hits you in the head hard enough let's get together and clean up this mess instead of make it worse through party politics that only serve a few special interests.
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