U.S. voters grieving for a world that won’t return
Stephen Pearlstein, business columnist for The Washington Post, makes an argument familiar to regular readers of this blog:
“Somewhere between the rantings of the Republican right, which is peddling the nonsense that excessive government spending is to blame for high unemployment, and the Democratic left, which clings to the false hope that another helping of fiscal stimulus is all that is needed to get millions of Americans permanently back to work, is this stubborn reality:
The loss of 8 million jobs reflects problems that are largely structural, not cyclical, which means they won’t be brought back by fiddling with a magic dial in Washington that controls how much the government spends.”
As Pearlstein notes, millions of construction and manufacturing jobs have disappeared and aren’t coming back soon. In addition, large numbers of displaced workers find themselves chained in place, unable to move to seek jobs because they are stuck with a mortgage for more than the house is worth.
And how did all this happen?
The structural problems, however, go well beyond these mismatches. The reason there were 8 million additional jobs back in 2007 is that demand for goods and services was artificially – and unsustainably – inflated by cheap, plentiful credit. Between 2002 and 2007, household debt was increasing at the torrid pace of more than 10 percent annually, while business debt and the debt of state and local governments was growing at an average of 9 percent. Much of that money was used to finance present consumption.
Now all that has reversed. Household debt is shrinking at a rate of 2.4 percent per year as the savings rate has risen from nearly zero to more than 5 percent. Meanwhile, business debt declined 2.5 percent last year and is now flat, as is the case for state and local governments.
All that deleveraging and living within our means is obviously a good thing in the long run. But what it means for the economy in the short run is that neither the excess consumption nor the jobs it supported are coming back.”
Our political leaders haven’t come to grips with that reality yet, and neither have the American people. What we’re seeing in the body politic right now is a primal scream of denial, an insistence that easy answers be found — right now! — so that we can all go back to those good ol’ days of not so long ago.
That’s why, less than two years after handing overwhelming victory to the Democrats, voters appear set to toss them aside and cast their lot with the Republicans next. Well, you can believe me now or you can believe me later, but John Boehner, Mitch McConnell and Sarah Palin certainly don’t have the answers either.
Just ask them.
It may be that the American people just aren’t prepared yet to hear the truth. This is part of a process of denial, anger and bargaining, followed only later by acceptance, that we just have to work our way through to get to the other side. It isn’t pretty, but it’s probably necessary.
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347 comments Add your comment
jeff wayne
September 8th, 2010
9:21 am
When this garbage that calls itself a newspaper is dead and gone, and it’s eulogy is written, biased “reporting” such as this will be pointed out as the terminal disease of the AJC.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:21 am
Bubba – 9:18 – I definitely don’t disagree with that post. that’s why many of them are referred to as “sheeple”
Bubba Bob
September 8th, 2010
9:21 am
bmdpd,
Exactly. This is our fault and we need to find people who are willing to solve it. It’s not a dem/rep. thing.
DEM
September 8th, 2010
9:21 am
“That’s why, less than two years after handing overwhelming victory to the Democrats, voters appear set to toss them aside and cast their lot with the Republicans next.”
It’s not a refusal to accept reality on the part of voters, Jay. They largely opposed the stimulus, which Obama told us would keep unem,ployment at 8%. It didn’t work. Unemployment is at ten. Instead of admitting the pork-laden stimulus was a mistake, Obama dreamed up the unprovable “saved or created” idea to try, desperately, to convince us he hadn’t wasted 800 billion of our tax dollars.
Now, is throwing these bums out a refusal to accept economic reality, or is it the natural and justified reaction to an obviously failed policy?
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
9:21 am
Bubba,
“They wanted a single-payer (socialist) system. They backed off, for now. It’s not in my head.”
Single payer does not equal socialist medicine. Again, you do not even realize what it is you are mad at.
Road Scholar
September 8th, 2010
9:21 am
“How’s that Hopey Changey thing goin?” Not as well as we’d like, but it’s a lot better than McCain’s actions. If he hasn’t changed his mind during the campaign from what he proposed prior, he has changed his position since. Is he a maverick or not…he was, he reveled in it, and now, he says he’s not. What about immigration, the economy,..? And would Palin still be VP since her book/talk show deal? Speaking about cut and run?
“It may be that the American people just aren’t prepared yet to hear the truth. This is part of a process of denial, anger and bargaining, followed only later by acceptance, that we just have to work our way through to get to the other side. It isn’t pretty, but it’s probably necessary.”
This is our reality, at least for people wanting to understand where we are in history and where we need to go. Obama finally came out in his speech in Wisconsin Monday and stated it like it is. He shouldn’t sugar coat it. While some will say he was wrong, arrogant (now who is really arrogant?), condescending… it was the truth. If the GOP really has positions , publish them. They wanted legislation published so that it could be read prior to passage; Where are their steps-and be specific with data reflecting the outcomes, for creating jobs. No, tax breaks alone will not do it. They return only 40 cents on the dollar gained/spent, where other ideas (like building infrastructure) returns over a dollar for each dollar invested.
I don’t think that the public understands wht has happened. Sometimes I wish there was a parallel universe that would indicate the panic/additional downturn that would hav resulted from no bailout, stimulus, etc. So folks, since you are such experts in insuting Obama, saying that his policies are all wrong, why aren’t you running for office, or bolstering a financial plan that the politicians can embrace (that’s easy) but that will work?
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:22 am
“biased “reporting” such as this will be pointed out as the terminal disease of the AJC”
for the love of gawd, would someone explain the difference between reporting and an opinion piece to this nimrod
Bubba Bob
September 8th, 2010
9:23 am
Bosch,
Maybe you don’t know what you aren’t seeing. One of us is wrong. Only time will tell.
Zedd
September 8th, 2010
9:23 am
Bosch, I’ve got two words for ya’ – Suck It! Here, I’ll even provide a link so your lazy a$$ can point and click.
http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=20532b9f-f9ae-46d7-b2bf-0f01cd75d90d
TaxPayer
September 8th, 2010
9:25 am
“A failure to plan is a plan to fail.”
That reminds me. What is that failed bank count up to now here in Georgia. Is it 41.
Dan
September 8th, 2010
9:25 am
Lots of real facts here, with somewhat faulty inferences. True easy credit caused the bubble, what caused easy credit was entitlement type political actions. True their are no easy answers, in fact the government cannot really “stimulate” the economy in the long term, all they can do is guide it with a light hand on the reins, and while right wing policies may not bring it back to where it was (and make no mistake, what caused the recession was left leaning policies allowed by a right leaning exec branch) the right would stop throwing gaso on the fire with an acknowledgment that keynsian economics were applicable in more of a government controlled ecomomy where the government distributed all manner of trade rights, the benefit of which can be seen by noticing that horses and sailboats were the main mode of transportion for 200 years. Enter the US with the first true or compartively free supply side market. In 200 years we go from a horse to the moon. All while other socialist/marxist economies/societies fail again and again. It is really quite clear what happens when gov gets overly involved
stands for decibels
September 8th, 2010
9:25 am
Zedd @ 9.09, the source for your copy/pasted malarkey, please.
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
9:26 am
Zedd,
That link was not to the full proposals, so therefore I can’t read them to give an opinion. Just because Coburn and McCain say they are wasteful, doesn’t mean squat to me. I don’t rely on the government to tell me what to think.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bubba,
Then please explain to us how it is that the government is trying to implement socialized medicine.
Mudfoot
September 8th, 2010
9:26 am
The voting populace allows itself to be led into denial every election season without fail. We allow ourselves to be divided and deceived, all the while letting our attention be diverted from the most important (and obvious) truths in politics. These are, imo, that:
1. The fringe elements on both sides are exactly what they appear to be!; whack jobs and inciters who are so far-out that they would never accomplish anything of true worth even if they were elected. These people are the tools politicians use to divide us and divert attention from real issues.
2. NEITHER ideology works in their pure forms and compromise to some extent is VITAL to anything to be done to get this country out of the hole we’ve led ourselves into.
Sadly., we as a populace buy into this bunk completely and consistently, over and over again. United we stand… but we’re far from united at this point, just as these politicians want us to be.
stands for decibels
September 8th, 2010
9:26 am
my bad. I did not know that you considered Tom Coburn, probably the wingnuttiest of wingnut senators, to be a reliable source.
Bubba Bob
September 8th, 2010
9:27 am
Bosch,
I did. Have a nice day.
I’m leaving for work.
stands for decibels
September 8th, 2010
9:28 am
Wonder how many taxpayer dollars Tom Coburn wasted to draft his “Bill to Exclude Abortion Coverage from Health Care Law”?
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
9:28 am
Bubba,
” I did. Have a nice day.”
No, you didn’t — you provided us with the reasons behind your fears, but nothing actual to tell us how it is that we are heading for socialism.
All you provided was empty rhetoric.
MarkV
September 8th, 2010
9:29 am
Zedd @9:09 am: You are making the same silly argument Neal Boortz was making in his Saturday column. First, by blaming Obama and the Democrats, you show a remarkable lapse of memory – those types of projects were funded during the Republicans’ administration just as well. Second, who are you to judge what people elsewhere want to be supported? Do you think Obama has chosen the projects? And most importantly: Who gets the money? The Martians? The money gets into the pocket of Americans, who will spend it and thus support the economy. Is it better to give them tax refund, for which there is no benefit, even if it is one you mock?
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:29 am
Zedd – before you get all “suck it, dude!” you may want to revisit the lead-up to the stimulus bill and how much pork got thrown into the grinder by your own party … their hands aren’t lilly-white
stands for decibels
September 8th, 2010
9:30 am
Fun Fact: Why Tom Coburn voted against confirming Elena Kagen–
“Refusing to acknowledge natural or God-given rights undermines our entire system of government.”
Del
September 8th, 2010
9:30 am
Don’t see a strong middle class? Some on here really need to get away from their computers and out of their bubbles. Get out and explore America, you’re spending too much time in the MSM drinking Kool-Aid. Times aren’t good but the middle class in this country is still in place. What we need is for Government to understand that in everything there are times when you need to lead, follow or get the hell out of the way. This is a time for government to get out of trying to create jobs and concentrate on the only thing it can do and that’s creating the environment for private sector job creation. Accelerated depreciation is a good move and it appears that Obama is taking a page out of Ronald Reagan’s book. It has to go further though with tax cut stimulants particularly for small business.
Gordon
September 8th, 2010
9:30 am
stands for decibels,
Can you explain why you think Tom Coburn is the “wingnuttiest of the wingnut senators?” What has he said or done to make you say that? Just curious.
Left wing management
September 8th, 2010
9:31 am
Wow, what a chorus of croaking, denying frogs. Croak, croak, croak.
No, wanna know what’s really MSM-like about Perlstein? It’s the idea that even now, the way to get a handle on the situation is to start out dismissing putatively extreme, unreasonable, wayward extremes of the Left and Right. As though there exists some “reasonable center” – sort of Obama’s disease, if you will.
No, the real disease we suffer from started long, long ago. A lot further back than the early 2000s. The real denial and breakdown we’re witnessing is in many ways a resumption of the pessimism of the 1970s and early 1980s when that tired on man we elected king came into office with his neo-liberal agenda. What keeps the croaking frogs from recognizing this is that they’ve drunk that kool-aid and are identified with it, to the death. The neo-liberal agenda ruled the land for a few decades and many people grew up under it and assume it has universal value. But they’re unaware how much of a band-aid it already was even at the outset, back in 1980. That band-aid is blood-crusted now and has fallen off. So what ideology will we come up with to paper over a naked US power agenda now? Stay tuned. The Palins and Rand Pauls are trying to craft one.
margo
September 8th, 2010
9:31 am
Congrats to the U.S. military, that’s 2 in a row since the Vietnam loss…
Soothsayer
September 8th, 2010
9:31 am
Jay, I don’t know what all the fuss is about. If you really want a job you can move to Mexico and work in a maquilladora (assembly plant) for $80/week. Not only that, you can move to China and make $200/month. In China your “communal” housing is furnished so your $200 goes a long way. If you’re really on the top of the totem pole you can move to India and get a computer based job that pays around $18,000/year–a job that would pay over $100,000/year in the U.S. So you see, Jay, work is there–you just have to know where to look.
Truth is, we have the economy multinational corporations have worked decades and many presidents for. What started out slowly turned into a full-out charge of offshoring jobs beginning around 2000 that continues to this day. Abundant, cheap overseas labor, essentially tax-free operations. So, as long as they can find someone, somewhere who still has enough money to buy the goods they produce–hey! they couldn’t be happier. Your misery? couldn’t care less.
There is one small hitch, though. A country can’t continue to import and run giant trade deficits. Eventually, it’s all going to come tumbling down. Everything I’ve read suggests that will be in 2011.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:31 am
Bosch – “I don’t rely on the government to tell me what to think.”
not to correct your post, but shouldn’t that read, “I don’t rely on congress critters with an agenda to tell me what to think” …?
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
9:32 am
USinUK,
I was writing Wingnutese — you know, to make it easier for them to understand.
TaxPayer
September 8th, 2010
9:33 am
“Refusing to acknowledge natural or God-given rights undermines our entire system of government.”
Didn’t God give women the right to abort! Then again, maybe it was nature that done it.
deegee
September 8th, 2010
9:33 am
I am so sick of the lame excuse that we make for ourselves for not being able to compete with Asia. Have you been by the Apple store at the mall? You can’t get into those places. Look at the young visionaries like the founders of Facebook and Google. Through their ingenuity they have created a product that people want. After 30 years Microsoft is still viable.
American business has faltered from the time that we replaced the visionaries at the top with accountants and finance people. They don’t care about what the company is selling. All they care about is the stock price for the next quarter. They pad the bottom line with real estate sales and accounting magic. They bounce around from one big company to another just to line their own pockets. Don’t blame the unions for what happened to American jobs. Blame the accounting whores that can’t see past the next quarter.
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
9:34 am
Gordon,
“Can you explain why you think Tom Coburn is the “wingnuttiest of the wingnut senators?”
Can you explain to me who the hell Coburn thinks he is by evaluating projects and deeming them wasteful? I mean who put him in charge of stimulus project assessment?
@@
September 8th, 2010
9:36 am
Taxpayer:
That reminds me. What is that failed bank count up to now here in Georgia. Is it 41.
I have no idea, nor do I care. My husband and I belong to a credit union. A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at reasonable rates, and providing other financial services to its members.
We, the members, own it. It serves us well.
doug
September 8th, 2010
9:36 am
@JM you are right! I saw Rep. Boehne,(probably, but hopefully not the new Speaker in the U.S. House) this morning with George Stephanopolous and he is indeed a total and complete idiot. It make no difference if you are a right wing nut or a a left wing bed wetter this guy couldn’t keep a train on track. Lord help us!! This guy can’t find his own azz with both hands, a map and a compass!
Gail
September 8th, 2010
9:37 am
Yes – you are right – however, there are additional causes that need to be looked at as well. Our government should have instigated a system of penalizing any company that ships their labor to overseas – yes for the sole purpose of CHEAP labor. Said companies should not be given the normal tax breaks/credits/etc. – indeed they should be taxed MORE for giving away AMERICAN jobs. NO company should ever be bailed out by the government that has given AMERICAN jobs away overseas!!! We should instigate immediately tax penalities to any company that has overseas jobs right now that Americans can do and that were sent overseas…
Equally important, is that yes – ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS have taken away jobs from AMERICANS – this has been going on for yeas and years, yet our government just stood around knowing it and DID NOTHING!! This one thing alone has ZAPPED the LIFE out of our local economies, school systems, hospitals, etc…..
In combination with your article and the above, little wonder why the jobless rate is so high!!!!! Until this things are RIGHTED, I see no hope…….
TaxPayer
September 8th, 2010
9:38 am
I think Inhofe has Coburn beat for the title of wingnuttiest wingnut in Congress. But there are so many to choose from, it is a toss up on almost a daily basis.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:38 am
Taxpayer – ask and ye shall receive
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html
and the winning number is 43
TaxPayer
September 8th, 2010
9:40 am
I have no idea, nor do I care.
Duh. In other words, your post about failing to plan and such wasn’t meant to apply to banks here in Georgia.
Gordon
September 8th, 2010
9:40 am
“Can you explain to me who the hell Coburn thinks he is by evaluating projects and deeming them wasteful? I mean who put him in charge of stimulus project assessment?”
The good people of the state of Oklahoma.
Why wouldn’t a senator object to money he or she thinks is being wasted? We need more of that, not less. He’s doing his job.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:40 am
hey Bosch … who loves ya?
http://www.rollingstone.com/current-issue
(that’s for Kayaker, as well, following on from yesterday morning’s discussion)
Left wing management
September 8th, 2010
9:41 am
Deegee: “American business has faltered from the time that we replaced the visionaries at the top with accountants and finance people.”
You’re on to something here, Deegee, but I think you’re still losing your way at just the crucial point.
Ask yourself this: why is it that the “visionaries” (by which I assume you meant the old wise Capitalists in the Fordist model? the Iacoccas and Welches?) were replaced with financial men, money-crunchers? Why do you think that would have happened? And, as I suggested above, why do you think this would have started happening in the mid-1970s and continue into the 90s and 2000s, with the terminal stage of the process being the one we’re currently in?
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:43 am
LWM – 9:41 – because, with the rise in the number of 401Ks, there was greater emphasis placed on stock prices and returns, requiring companies to think short-term and produce short-term results rather than long-term planning and market positioning.
just my £0.02.
YMMV
Curious Observer
September 8th, 2010
9:44 am
Our government should have instigated a system of penalizing any company that ships their labor to overseas – yes for the sole purpose of CHEAP labor. Said companies should not be given the normal tax breaks/credits/etc. – indeed they should be taxed MORE for giving away AMERICAN jobs.
Has old age affected my hearing and memory, or am I correct in recalling an Obama campaign promise of penalizing through the tax system those companies that shipped jobs overseas?
Deep throat
September 8th, 2010
9:44 am
Bosch
Can you explain to me who the hell Coburn thinks he is by evaluating by evaluating projects and deeming them wasteful? I mean who put him in charge of stimulus project assessment?
Who do you propose should assess the stimulus projects ?
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
9:45 am
Gordon,
He can object all he wants, but he’s not doing the research or the projects, and his opinions on whether or not HE thinks they are worthy — doesn’t mean crap.
stands for decibels
September 8th, 2010
9:45 am
Gordon @ 9.30, aside from his ridiculous assertion about Kagen I’d cited, Coburn is probably the hardest of the hard-liners when it comes to climate change denial.
He’s absolutely knuckle dragger on reproductive rights–he supports recriminalizing abortion and using the death penalty to punish offenders.
He squeals on his website about “anchor babies”…
http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/?p=Immigration
you get the idea.
Idiots
September 8th, 2010
9:46 am
Since I am not a card carrying member of either party, I hope you will forgive me if I make too much sense. Besides the worn out TAX CUT solution that the GOP continues to ride into the ground, can someone give me any clue as to what they have in their bag of tricks to magically reduce the defecit, return unemployment to 3%, and bring back all of the jobs that have been bled out over the last 30 years? I’d like to hear them since I’ll be one of those folks that is going to see my taxes increase due to my income. However, right now I’m just not convinced that the GOP is going to do a whole lot better than the current party in power.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:46 am
“Who do you propose should assess the stimulus projects ?”
either the CBO or the OMB – both are non-partisan
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
9:46 am
Deep Throat —
It depends on the project or the individual research being done.
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
9:48 am
USinUK,
Thanks for the link!
BMDPD
September 8th, 2010
9:49 am
Gail, if we penalize companies for sending cheap labor overseas, then the ‘middle class’ won’t be able to afford their products.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:51 am
Bosch – I thought that might brighten your day!
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:52 am
BMD – “if we penalize companies for sending cheap labor overseas, then the ‘middle class’ won’t be able to afford their products”
the middle class can’t afford them, anyway, because their JOBS went overseas!
Doggone/GA
September 8th, 2010
9:52 am
“if we penalize companies for sending cheap labor overseas, then the ‘middle class’ won’t be able to afford their products”
the other side of that same coin is that if the “middle class” doesn’t even have a JOB, they won’t be able to afford to buy anything.
Idiots
September 8th, 2010
9:52 am
BMDPD, maybe the problem lies in the fact that we have an artificially inflated Middle Class?
TaxPayer
September 8th, 2010
9:55 am
I have some money in a credit union also. It’s a member of the FDIC. The same outfit that insured deposits at all those failed banks. I try to minimize the amount I keep in the credit union (and banks) though because they simply cannot afford to give me any decent return on my money given the FDIC insurance premiums, amongst other things, that they have to contend with these days. They just eat away at the profits. Someone has to pay for all those failed banks though just like folks did back when all those S&L’s went under. It seems like a lot of those failures were in places like Texas and Arizona and such. Some guy named Keating was in on some of that mess but I think folks like McCain helped fix that mess. He probably called on one of his top-notch economic advisers, Phil Gramm, back then to help out too. That Phil Gramm really helped us out a lot with Enron and commodities trading and derivatives of the non-calculus variety but he did get tired of hearing folks whining so much about all his hard work so he finally gave it up and went to work in one of those big banks somewhere overseas. I don’t know if his wife stayed on as a director on the Enron board all the way til the end or not though. Speaking of returns on investment, Enron really knew how to get it done. Too bad they went under. Those guys really knew how to squeeze out the profits but that’s a story for another post. It sure brings up some fond memories though. I remember one of our visits with one of the VPs at Enron out in Texas… and then… oh well, enough of that.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
9:55 am
Doggone – JINX – you owe me a coke
Hillbilly Deluxe
September 8th, 2010
9:57 am
We don’t hear nearly enough about the role that Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve played in this. His belief in a false ideaology had as much to do with it as anything.
This is part of a process of denial, anger and bargaining, followed only later by acceptance,
Which is usually followed by death.
Jefferson
September 8th, 2010
9:57 am
The GOP runs the country in the ground and people don’t see it, too bad for the suckup sheep that are looking for crumbs, they too will suffer.
Deep throat
September 8th, 2010
9:57 am
Bosch and Usik, you are both WRONG and people like you are whats wrong today.
WEEEEEEEEE THE PEOPLE , the tax payers should assess what Oblunder spends OUR money on, unchecked government no way!
Doggone/GA
September 8th, 2010
9:57 am
USinUK – I do indeed!
lovelyliz
September 8th, 2010
9:58 am
Getting rid of every “Mexican” won’t bring back one single job from China/India.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
10:00 am
HillBilly – don’t get me started on Alan Greenspan.
I don’t have a vein in the middle of my forehead, but if I did, it would be THROBBING!
TaxPayer
September 8th, 2010
10:01 am
Which is usually followed by death.
Such a morbid thought on such a be-you-ti-ful day.
Gator Joe
September 8th, 2010
10:01 am
Jay,
While we know which are the longest lines in America today, the unemployment line for one, I think it would be helpful to point out the shortest. First the lines at military recruiting centers, often avoided by Right wing sabre rattlers and chicken hawks. Also short is the line of those willing to sacrifice by paying higher taxes or accept cuts in Social Security and Medicare, or both. This line is especially avoided by the Right wing demagogues and hypocrites.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
10:02 am
“WEEEEEEEEE THE PEOPLE , the tax payers should assess what Oblunder spends OUR money on, unchecked government no way!”
which is the job of the CBO and the OMB.
you might want to study up on civics a bit before you start lecturing on who’s right and who’s wrong. just sayin
Russ555
September 8th, 2010
10:03 am
Govt. spending on infrstructure will put money in the hands of consumers, so they can start buying products. That is the best thing we can do right now. Plus letting the tax cuts for the rich expire. And then raise them more. That would help more.
Deep throat
September 8th, 2010
10:05 am
Usik , I don’t think you’ve had any blood flowing any where near your head for a long time. lol
ATF
September 8th, 2010
10:05 am
What is scary about this waiting while we work out the excesses of overspending, is that we don’t really see what the recovery will look like.
My image of a wonderful economy is one of big industries with lots of jobs, particularly manufacturing jobs. I don’t think we are ever going back there, so I don’t know what there will be that can be the job creator for the economy. I don’t think an economy can be sustained that just produces services. We can only have so many restaurants, banks, health care workers, accountants, etc. We need to make things that others want. Or, we need to be the place other countries come to for services. I heard about another U.S. business that has “out-sourced” its accounting department – to Sri Lanka!!!!!
I think we have to get back to being a country that exports more than we import. I mean, isn’t there a limit to how long the world will keep on buying dollars to keep us afloat?
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
10:08 am
DT – 10:05 – oh, that that were so … maybe that way I could forget 2001-2008 ….
getalife
September 8th, 2010
10:09 am
cons never accepted responsibility for their failed party and the collapse they never saw coming.
They want to use the same failed ideology again and expect a different result.
This argument is the definition of insanity so how do you debate insanity?
@@
September 8th, 2010
10:09 am
Duh. In other words, your post about failing to plan and such wasn’t meant to apply to banks here in Georgia.
Correct, Taxpayer. It was assigned to jay’s collective, WE(S), of which I no longer consider myself a member.
In other words, you, and those like you….the ones who “countless” days, blogging for “progress”?
You’re on your own. I’ll work for those with whom I have direct contact.
I’m on my way out…gotta make sure some retail clerk gets to keep their job.
Any more questions?
Scout
September 8th, 2010
10:09 am
USinUK:
As Kamchak would say, “you must be under the illusion that I work for you.”
@@
September 8th, 2010
10:10 am
Oops!
the ones who “SPEND countless” days blogging for “progress”.
IHB
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
10:11 am
… so, will Fidel get any applause from the GOP for this?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/08/fidel-castro-blasts-ahmad_n_708592.html
Deep throat
September 8th, 2010
10:12 am
Usik 10:08 perhaps if you would quit looking backwards, you would see the problems today that will affect tomorrow.
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
10:12 am
Scout – 10:09 – to what are you referring?
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
10:14 am
DT – 10:12 – wishing I could forget that distrous administration isn’t looking backwards – but, nice try.
BADA BING
September 8th, 2010
10:15 am
Have you been out to dinner on the weekends? There is a waiting line at every chain steak/seafood/Italian/etc. eating joint. There were 300,000 people in town over the weekend at conventions, ballgames, and other events, and they were spending money like there was no tomorrow. If you have a good, safe job, there is no recession per say. I look around myself and say “What recession’?
Mick
September 8th, 2010
10:18 am
scout
There’s enough blame to go around, why is it exactly that after eight long, long, long, years that it took to break everything, we demand that it be fixed in two?
TaxPayer
September 8th, 2010
10:18 am
Clearly, what we need to do is get more money on trains and in planes and cars and boats and such instead of in the hands of pedestrians.
Idiots
September 8th, 2010
10:19 am
Hey BADA BING, I somewhat agree with you. I haven’t seen a noticeable dent in any of the places that I frequent either, but the reality is that we really are in a hole as a country overall. maybe I’m missing something, but the fact that my tax cuts are going to expire doesn’t throw me into a state of sheer panic andf make me believe that the GOP is going to solve anything.
Deep throat
September 8th, 2010
10:19 am
Usik why do you refuse to see the problems of today, why can’t you acknowledge that the present admin. does not know how to correct the economy or won’t ?
Why won’t you admit the present admin has failed to live up to campaign promises ?
Idiots
September 8th, 2010
10:20 am
Deep Throat, why do you believe that the GOP will be better?
Bosch
September 8th, 2010
10:22 am
“why can’t you acknowledge that the present admin. does not know how to correct the economy or won’t ?”
And who, pray tell, CAN fix the economy? Do you think McCain would have done the job? Maybe Sarah Palin? And what does it look like when it IS fixed?
“Why won’t you admit the present admin has failed to live up to campaign promises ?”
Like what? Do you hold every politician to that standard?
Deep throat
September 8th, 2010
10:22 am
Idiot, may I hope for change
Scout
September 8th, 2010
10:22 am
USinUK:
If you don’t remember …………………………
Mick
September 8th, 2010
10:23 am
bada @ 10:15
Yes, very good observation. Been to disneyworld lately? Unbelievable lines yet, there are millions out there suffering. So much untapped labor while the banksters are sitting on it. Nothing matters except the bottom line, meet the new america, not even remotely same as the old…
Scout
September 8th, 2010
10:23 am
I sure miss these two ……………………
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-uA5f_d4xM
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
10:23 am
DT – “Usik why do you refuse to see the problems of today”
who say’s I don’t?
“why can’t you acknowledge that the present admin. does not know how to correct the economy or won’t ?”
because I don’t agree – I think they may not have all the answers, but they have been stymied by the GOP who refuses to play nicely in the sandbox – they’d rather pee in it.
“Why won’t you admit the present admin has failed to live up to campaign promises ?”
because he’s not a dictator – he has to work WITH people; therefore, you’re only as good as the people you’re forced to work with. given the bunch on the Hill (on both sides of the aisle), there are plenty of weak links
USinUK
September 8th, 2010
10:24 am
Scout – 10:22 – I have no idea what you’re referring to. either reference it or let it go.
Scout
September 8th, 2010
10:25 am
Mick:
Because it wasn’t broken. Just needed adjusting.
Obama has broken it.
Deep throat
September 8th, 2010
10:25 am
Borsch , he was not suposed to be like every politician. You were duped by a clown.
TaxPayer
September 8th, 2010
10:25 am
Inquiring minds, of the Edgar Allan Poe admirers variety, want to know what Phil Gramm and Carly Fiorina, McCain’s crack economic advisers, would have done to “fix” the economy. I see visions of pits and pendulums.
Jefferson
September 8th, 2010
10:26 am
Tax rates won’t change anything, just talking points to incite.
stands for decibels
September 8th, 2010
10:26 am
McCain’s crack
ew.
Jack
September 8th, 2010
10:27 am
I think maybe Bookman has a good, firm grip on the obvious.
Scout
September 8th, 2010
10:27 am
Deep throat :
He’s no clown. Clowns are not dangerous.
Idiots
September 8th, 2010
10:27 am
Deeo Throat, you can. My point is that all these blogs are comprised of the same drivel ” the Obama adminstreation is destroying the country” and “we have to get the GOP back in as soon as possible”. My problem is that I have yet to see any compelling evidence that the GOP has a plan to actually make things better. I’m not a cheerleader for the current adminstration either, but until I am provided with some facts from the other side as to why we should put them back in the drivers seat, I continue to remain objective.
stands for decibels
September 8th, 2010
10:27 am
he was not suposed to be like every politician.
Sean and Rush told you so!
Mike
September 8th, 2010
10:28 am
Ever since we gave the world NAFTA in the 90’s, our manufacturing base was given away.
Manufacturing was the heart and soul of this country. It will not come back, so we are a service base country now, that produces nothing. Bring back manufactor’s, then jobs will come back. Job’s come back, we rock and roll again