I just heard CNN and CNNfn proclaim the economy as wonderful.

[madfloridian]

They were all salivating. I have some problems with this, but I don't know how they mess with the numbers. I am no economist.
I do know someone who was laid off from a computer software job over a year ago.....they offered to hire him back a 100 miles away.....at $10 an hour less than he made a year ago.

I do know that shopping malls here were not even busy Friday. I know a lot of people having real problems. I see in the paper every day about thousands more being laid off from somewhere.

There don't seem to be an abundance of help-wanted ads, not even for mcjobs.

Is it only the corporations who are doing well.....just not the people? Is that how they do it? I get sick when I watch them smirk about the economy, and the reality is not what they are saying.

[Ripley]

1. The people on CNN are in Fantasy Land.

I remember hearing them talk about the spike in gasoline prices Labor Day weekend. The female talking heads agreed that people would be affected since so many of them drive to their second homes for the weekend.

They are overpaid clowns. Ass clowns. :nuke:

[lebkuchen]

2. They're paranoid about the lack of a Christmas rush

They have a right to be paranoid. Sales will be awful.

Advice to consumers: buy close to the source--visit your local farmer.

[terrya]

3. Did the 3 million+ who lost their jobs get them back?

No?

Then the economy sucks. Simple as that.

[Maple]

4. You should see

Drudge...he is really a Republican!

Meanwhile the dollar is crashing.

[Cat Atomic]

5. Did they say anything about East Asia? Have we always been

at war with East Asia, or was that last week?

[MUAD_DIB]

10. No, Cat Atomic. We have always been at war with

Eurasia...always....

[Jim Sagle]

6. CNN = RNC.

'nuff said.

[GainesT1958]

7. For THEM, maybe...

But not so for the REST of us!x(

Sometimes I really think that these so-called "reporters" never get their heads out of the sand, or out of the studio. Hey, WE'RE making money, so everything must be looking up, right? :crazy:

These folks are even more stupid than they look. How many of them have even bothered to interview a laid-off worker--white-collar, blue-collar, McJob, whoever? How many of them have been forced to choose between training their replacement from Bombay--or facing an even-faster layoff?

My biggest hope is that when Dub gets the boot from the rest of us next year, they will--eventually--also go the way of him. And that, finally, we'll see more bona fide journalists on the air again, and less in the way of media whores.

B-)

[MUAD_DIB]

12. That would be a hoot!

You turn on CNN and FAUX and all that they are playing is Indian music videos with Apu as the lead anchor.

It's easier to ship jobs away but pay these talking heads to keep on telling us that everything is a-o-kay.

[West Coast Democrat]

8. We went out to buy some X-Mas Lights on Saturday

the store was quite empty.

[madfloridian]

9. Hubby went to the grocery store at the Mall friday, usually packed...

on the day after Thanksgiving. I asked him if it was hard to find a parking place. He looked funny, and he said "you know what, it wasn't." There was plenty of parking and no crowds.

He had not even paid attention. Interesting.

[Justice]

11. Did Anyone Else See the News Piece on Sales of Luxury Items?

I saw a newspiece yesterday (I believe it was CNN) talking about how luxury items were flying off the shelves - diamonds, jewelry, designer bags and shoes.

I was shocked -- this reinforces the belief/fact that tax cuts help the rich - how can then afford these items even more.

[Ripley]

13. There are also lots of wannabe's in America.

You don't have to be rich to buy luxury items. Can you say credit card debt? My younger sister is a very poor single mother of 2 boys. She insists on digging herself deeper and deeper into debt by buying the kids (under 14) Tommy Hilfiger clothes.

I recall working in a department store where a newly married coworker in her early 20's with a baby would routinely charge hundreds of dollars worth of Lancome make-up each month. I was shocked when she said she only paid 20$/month on the bill. She will be paying for this "pretend I'm rich" mental defect for the rest of her life.

[jeter]

14. This is the problem

There are some indicators that show the economy is growing. It could be temporary, it could be sustainable. But it is only one quarter. There are other numbers: consumer and personal debt, unemployment and the level of jobs created, consumer confidence (although better, is historically low) etc. that are still very bad. So it is just too soon to say that "the economy is wonderful."

It may be getting better. It may not. This quarter is good. But will next quarter be too? That's the million dollar question.

CNN is just being stupid if it says, "that the economy is wonderful" after one quarter when we have had about a dozen quarters where the economy was bad.

I really miss CNN being an actual news network. Instead of a cheerleader.

[smirkymonkey]

15. Manufacturing consent...

Hey, if "they" say the economy is booming, then it must be true! Even though I have yet to see any palpable evidence.

However, I doubt you will get all the unemployed and those who have had to take lower paying, less benefit jobs to agree with this.