Now, see here!!! For 85% of us, the economy STINKS!!!!

[Just Me]

Our wages are nowhere near keeping up with the increases in costs of basic needs: food, water, clothing, shelter. Getting to and from work is becoming more and more costly. Heating our stoves to cook food, to warm our homes, to drive to work has eaten away at our means of survival. We are also being FORCED to anticipate paying off a national debt that exceeds any working wo/man's annual take-home pay.

I reject the lies about the status of OUR,...OUR economy. I reject the proposal that, those at the top of the economic ladder receiving the benefits of economic exploitation represents the character of the U.S.A. economy. Economic conditions include ALL OF US.

/rant

add: damn these intentional misreprestations about life, our life!!!

[butterfly77]

1. I'll second that!

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Yes, and CBS News the other night says to watch for 72% increases in

electric bills this summer!

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. And does that account for increased usage?

I actually had to turn on my air conditioner last week -- and I NEVER use my air before June.

Higher costs + increased usage = broke.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. No, the story was on states that had 'deregulated' utilities years ago and

how 'deferred' increases were coming due. You remember that deregulation was supposed to free people to choose companies and competition was to drive down the prices. Well, it didn't happen.

[Just Me]

23. Free people to "choose" companies????? WOW! I have only ONE,...

,...company to choose from. Is that,...unusual?

[sofa king]

29. An interesting backgrounder on electricity deregulation.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/electricity.htm

The problem is that proponents of deregulation seem to postulate an infinite and easily available supply of electricity, something which is likely to end soon, perhaps as soon as this summer.

[Just Me]

37. I must be missing something because I've witnessed NO additional,...

,...providers. Perhaps, that's 'cause no additional providers can exist with the power of the big corps, like sharks, consuming the "starters" and becoming monopolies.

Sorry, I didn't read the entire reference you posted but I believe I got the gist. Correct me if I'm wrong. Please.

[katty]

3. this has been going on for quite awhile-much harder to hide it now

[Just Me]

5. I know. I KNOW!!! The same "creative accounting" utilized by Enron,...

,...et al are being used by our own industrial/military/energy-controlled government.

I just HAVE TO RANT, from time-to-time, about their perpetual, pathological LYING to the American people. It's sick and abusive and, well, goshdamnit, ethically EVIL!!!

These assholes should/must be held accountable for their intentional fraud, their intentional exploitation, their intentional abuse of power and the people of this country. Otherwise, it's only going to get worse.

[MostlyLurks]

4. This really gets down to the nitty of Republican ethos.

I remember a couple of years ago, someone here on DU posted the text of an editorial in a small local newspaper. The writer was praising the Bush administration and his rebuttal for the economy being bad was that he was doing just fine, so how bad could it possibly be?

That's really the crux of the biscuit: loyalist Republicans will always gear their world view toward how they're doing personally. That's really the entirity of the Republican mainstream right now. Very little emphasis on the health of society as a whole or on Americans as a whole - it's all about the "me-ness" of policy. This is why their policy stances are almost universally about divisive labeling and seperations - gays, liberals, "intellectuals", muslims, etc - because it isolates their acolytes in a "me" frame, as opposed to a "we" frame. And that makes it far easier for their message machine to keep traction, because all they have to do is make their people think of "how am I doing" and they don't have to deal with "how's everybody else doing".

In a larger sense, this is why crap like abortion and gay marriage play so well (well, there are other reasons too, but this is one factor, I believe) because it plays on "me" and "how I feel" - those are exceedingly easy things to use for manipulative purposes. It's far harder to ask people to think of "them" and "how they feel".

Mostly

PS The nice thing about this line or style of argument is that if you can prove that you personally have gotten the shaft in the Bush economy, then it stalemates their own arguments. It's a very ineffectual control mechanism because all it requires is subjective contrary proof to block it. That's why they also try to keep people from talking to liberals and Dems, because their defenses are so brittle and prone to collapse.

[Just Me]

17. I believe it's called, "narcissistic personality disorder".

I'm serious about that, too. Eventually, people can't avoid the abusive and exploitative behavior by the narcissist.

[NotGivingUp]

39. We've come to the same exact conclusion....

My husband and I have talked this thing out so many times. It's like who ARE these people? Why are they like this? And we always come to the same conclusion...it's the "me" mentality. I'm doing a-ok! Why aren't you?

[sandnsea]

44. yes yes yes, "we're all connected"

community, neighborhoods, TOGETHER, we can do better. Although we ought to reach back into the unity of the past, the grange, the unions, yes churches, and even early gangs. People naturally organize into groups or clans to survive. Not to dictate each others family values, but to create the civic structures that enable us to earn a living and enhance our lives. That's what Democrats believe in.

Here at home, and around the world.

[MazeRat7]

6. Economy Posts Best Growth in 2 1/2 Years

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060428/economy.html?.v=12

I thought the quote from Reed sums it up nicely:

"This growth is showing up in the bottom lines of companies, but not in the paychecks of workers," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.

MZr7

[cascadiance]

7. I think the biggest growth over the last few years...

are the *'s growing out of these bums heads!

[butterfly77]

15. Everytime one of the bushites...

shows up on one of these shows the host or the other guest talk about the poll numbers and ask the dem on the show what do they suggest he should do. I wait for the dem to say step down, quit, get out or something on those lines but with different words. Anyway,I get angry because this one of the dems talking points and they don't use it. THE ECONOMY IS NOT GOOD, HE IS TELLING A DAMN LIE! The only one who will call him a lie is the guy name Bill something they say he use to be on crossfire a long time ago, and Paul Begala. These two are the ones who need to go on these shows more often because these are the only ones who say it the way it needs to be said on this issue and a whole lot of others.

[Just Me]

18. LMFAO!!! I know what that's SUPPOSE to be but, damn,....

,...he looks like a "dick-head"!!! :rofl:

[butterfly77]

I think that a lot of people haven't felt it who are...

rich or family members and friends of those who stole the 9 billion dollars in Iraq or contractors in the Katrina situation and oil men,or family and friends who are incompetent and given jobs to do nothing, faith based phoney preachers and others who lie for this dumbass. These are the people who have the loudest voices and the most contact with people that they can brainwash and lie to. These are the people who show up on these talk shows and message boards and are so angry and want to kill because they don't want to lose the gravy train.

[Just Me]

36. They are the people who perpetuate the lies/myth and, yes,...

,...they are the ones screaming loudest that "you are lucky as hell to be living in a free nation with so many opportunities".

Yup. Undoubtedley, they are desperate to perpetuate a status quo *slash* path even though, eventually, it will bite them in the ass, too,....as they watch their children and grandchildren and friends thrown into the briar patch. But, those few will continue rationalize it all away and condemn all those they "supposedly" loved for being too weak to bear such a great period of economic mania.

These people,...I run away from them, avoiding them like a plague 'cause you CAN NOT reason with sick people.

[0007]

8. What's worse than the economy is NO ONE is calling this

prick that the economy sucks.

[Initech]

12. Nope, according to the freepers, the economy's doing just dandy!

[Raksha]

25. I just can't believe the freepers are doing that much better

than the rest of us. 32-38% of the population still support Bush, but 32-38% of the population are NOT in the high-income group by any means. I think it's a different kind of psy-ops going on with them. Kind of a "What's wrong with me?" syndrome. I just made that up on the spot for want of anything better to call it.

Individually, I think most of them are struggling just as much as us libruls, but they've been brainwashed by the media into thinking that people who struggle to make ends meet are LOSERS. They don't want to be losers, so they keep talking about the great Bush economy as though they are actually part of it. But they are in serious denial. They are trying to keep it a deep, dark secret (even from themselves) that they are not benefiting in any way.

[Initech]

27. To paraphrase a Family Guy quote:

"They're so deep in the closet that they're finding Christmas presents."

Pretty much sums up the freeper denial.

[sandnsea]

45. Horse-Shit

Easiest thing for you to do, watch Barney Frank on Bill Maher. Yes people are calling Bush out on his bullshit, wage deflation, income disparity, obscene profits, obscene CEO wages, crony contracts, soaring health care and education costs, low paying jobs. I hear Democrats talking about this stuff all the time. Stop listening to pundits TELL YOU what Democrats are saying and LISTEN TO THE DEMOCRATS THEMSELVES.

[nashville_brook]

10. this INFLATION is underhanded and by design, ya'll

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2250393

MUMBAI: On March 23, unnoticed by many, the US Federal Reserve quietly stopped publishing the quantum of broad money (referred to as M3) in the US economy.

Simply put, this meant the central bank will not reveal the amount of currency it pumps into the system each year. So, it will now be impossible to distinguish dollar inflows to US economy and new currency that the Fed would print.

So, the Fed, fear analysts, could covertly fund its near $800 billion budget deficit and $700 billion balance of payment deficit, which are more than India's GDP.

These fears have prompted the dollar to plummet to multi-month lows against euro and yen and could seriously impact confidence in the world's favourite currency.
________________________________________

this is a BIG DEAL -- they are printing money to the tune of $700,000,000,000 -- that's 700 BILLION. now, imagine what that's going to do to the purchasing power of the dead presidents in your wallet.

[Just Me]

28. But,....wait a minute,...the consequence would BR the richest, as well.

Wouldn't it? :shrug: All their holdings are severely diminished by that kind of behavior.

Whoah! What the fuck are these people doing and why? Are they intentionally attempting to destroy the economic strength of this country?

This is just too weird for me to comprehend.

[nashville_brook]

42. inflation only affects money that is being SPENT

moeny that is being SAT ON is fine until the period passes -- so, no -- inflation is very regressive.

[Initech]

11. TAX. THE. RICH.

I dont care what that fat piece of shit Limbaugh says, the rich must be taxed! Tax their homes, tax their businesses, tax their Swiss bank accounts! Tax them and tax them fucking good.

[Just Me]

30. TAX. THE. BIG CORPORATIONS! who are the predatory exploiters.

And, yes, tax ALL Americans who move their profits outside this nation to avoid putting in their fair share towards that country they scream "Love It or Leave It".

No more "offshoring" to AVOID our rule of law. That, in and of itself should be a serious federal crime with HUGE penalties, both in terms of dollars and liberty!!!

[Initech]

40. I SO agree with that it's not even funny.

I say we levy a huge tax on companies (at LEAST 30 - 40%) who put their money in trust funds in the Cayman Islands. They'd be scared shitless of trying it.

[Just Me]

41. ENDING the "exploitation" which has led to the blowback of 9/11,...

,...may actually DECREASE acts of terrorism, in comparison to the BushCO/neocon policy of bombing those fuckers who won't bend to the will of U.S. corporacrats and led to an notable INCREASE in terrorist acts around the world.

I'm just sayin' :shrug:

[Kansas Wyatt]

32. Retroactive special income tax for the Wealthy Elite (W's Base)

Tax all those in the upper 15%, so that their income growth ends up equaling the income growth for those in the bottom 25%, retroactively every year since 2000.

[rman]

13. the economy of the other 15% is doing just fine...

[Vinnie From Indy]

14. If you believe BushCo has lied about all the rest, why would this

be different? The short answer to the recent wave of BS economic news is that the middle class has been abandonded by corporate America. It can be seen in offshoring, the loss of jobs and the attack on promised benefits. Even though the situation may not appear to be catastrophic, I believe it is only a matter of time before the condition gets worse.

[butterfly77]

16. It hasn't hit their stocks yet, when it does...

Then they will climb out of bush's ass!

[Orsino]

22. Not "abandoned." Strip-mined.

But when they're done, yes, the middle class will be made invisible, too.

19. most reporters are so removed from way general

public lives. They did a story on this on NewsHour. They come from yuppie households and that is where they end up.

[Orsino]

21. It could be argued that an economy...

...in which anyone is homeless against his will has failed. Multiply that by hundreds of thousands, and that conclusion is inescapable.

[porphyrian]

24. It's closer to 95%, but yes. - n/t

[Just Me]

33. You may be correct. It's just the 10% below them aren't "hurting", yet.

So, I went with %85,...although, the truly "hurting" are at about %70, which is pretty damned sick in a country that is supposedly built upon the premise of equal opportunity with "hard work and determination". BLAH!!! Bullshit!!!

I am sick of the pathology of lies and manipulation and exploitation.

Nearly one quarter of our entire population has no guarantee of health care because they have no health "insurance". We are talking about WORKING AMERICANS!!!

[anarch]

26. oh no no no, everything is just fine

Now excuse me while I go straighten up my stacks of hundred dollar bills and think about how much I should raise everyone's electricity bill this month...

[OnionPatch]

31. They can talk all they want about how great it is

I don't see it anywhere. I don't see any good jobs available and I don't see any decent raises coming at the one I'm in. (Or anyone else I know for that matter.) All I see are rising prices and companies dumping health care, pensions and benefits.

The celebrations must all be on the upper side of town.

[Zodiak]

35. One trip up and down the main road

here in Columbus, OH,shows that Bush is lying. there are more closed business than there are open ones. All of this change occured within the last five years.

So Bush's cronies with the fuzzy math can take his cooked 4.8% growth and shove it up his ass.

I really do think that CNNBCFOX can spout these number all they want, but it will make no difference. The propaganda has jumped the shark for most Americans. There is no getting tham back for an entire generation.

Their gamble has failed, but it means we ALL have to pay.

[B Calm]

34. I have a job, but I'm making 1986 wages!

[Just Me]

38. I'm a bit better off making 1991 wages.

x(

Meanwhile, the money I pay for health insurance coverage TRIPLED while the coverage is about %20 lower, and I have to FIGHT for meds necessary to treat my son's medical condition (which I haven't yet won), and my co-pay has increased four-fold while preventive care is far more limited.

As meager I as try to be about food expenses, I can't feed the two of us nutritious meals each week for less than $130 per week. My average energy bills (even keeping heat at 60 degrees during winters, screw cooling during summer, and turning off the hot water heater every night) is $156 per month. I've spent a total of $240 on clothing for myself this year, $700 on my son ('cause he's a teenager and his clothes and shoes don't fit), I've had to spend an average of $70 per week for gas to commute to work, and fuck entertainment or vacation or extras. I don't pay for cable since the $10 per month for internet service is far more valuable. I pay $26 for basic phone service and keep a phone card for long distance calls. I try TRY to keep up with servicing a vehicle NECESSARY to deliver me to and fro for work.

I am SUPPOSE to be "middle-class". I am SUPPOSE to be able to SAVE MONEY for myself and my son's college?

Give me a fucking BREAK!!!!

I am sick of the lies about OUR economy being so great! It's sucks for those of us doing the best we can, stretching our resources as far as they can go,...and being demeaned by a LIE about how great it is to be an American citizen living in a FABULOUS economy.

Bullshit!!!

[B Calm]

43. Their idea of a FABULOUS economy is a delusion!

[sandnsea]

46. HUGE fight in my household

I keep telling that to my husband. We're charging close to the same money for services that we were charging in 1986!! And we had a hard time making ends meet THEN. We simply have to raise our rates, but we know that alot of other people are in the same boat we are. It's damned hard trying to figure out what to do. A whole other "Two Americas". Businesses that are in the top 5% and charging $100+ an hour and doing very well; and the rest of us trying not to put a huge burden on our neighbors and none of us being able to do much besides break even.

[Jim Warren]

47. Buy ExxonMobil silly

:sarcasm: alert

From their ad in the NYTimes this week:

When ExxonMobil is financially successful, it's good news for more than 2.5 million Americans who directly own shares own shares in our company..........

http://exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Files/Corporate/OpEd_planting_profits2.pdf

So, 2.5 million Americans, lessee.....that's about 1%......or less.