Just heard something pretty funny on NPR

[RoseMead]

I was driving my stepdaughter to school, and a gentleman - who I believe was identified as the Washington, D.C. bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal - was being interviewed about American productivity. He went on and on about how important productivity is, because more productivity means an increased standard of living, etc. Basically, he was all chirp chirp chirp about Americans being the most productive country on earth and how we need to stay there.


At the end of the interview, the NPR interviewer said (and I'm recalling this to the best of my ability) something like, "Do you need some coffee?"

WSJ guy said, "No. Why, do I look bad?"

NPR guy: "You look kind of... (muffled sounds) Like maybe you're bored or tired."

WSJ guy: "No, I'm just thinking of all the stuff I have to do."

NPR guy: (in a very upbeat voice): "You need to be more productive!"

WSJ guy: (in a very tired-sounding voice): "Heh...yeah."

I then proceeded to laugh my ass off.


Sorry no link, it was just on the radio moments ago.

[Lasher]

1. Productivity increases have benefitted mostly the rich

September 27, 2006
Our Growing Inequality Problems
By Robert Samuelson

Although Americans are not hugely envious of the rich -- especially if their wealth seems honestly earned -- we also think that prosperity should be broad-based. Trickle-up economics, with most gains flowing to the top, seems un-American. But is that what we now have? Good question. Just last week Forbes magazine reported that the 400 richest Americans are now all billionaires. And the government's recent release of household income and poverty figures for 2005 has sharpened the debate.

Let me try to make sense of it. Superficially, the news was not encouraging. Median household income of $46,326, though up slightly from 2004, was still below its record of $47,671 in 1999 (the median household is the one exactly in the middle). The poverty rate was essentially unchanged at 12.6 percent, well above its recent low of 11.3 percent in 2000 (the poverty rate is the share of people below the official "poverty line," about $20,000 in income for a family of four). But the annual numbers are less important in addressing the trickle-up question than long-term trends.

<snip>

The bottom line: Productivity gains (improvements in efficiency) are going disproportionately to those at the top. We do not really understand why. Globalization, weaker unions, increasingly skilled jobs, the frozen minimum wage and the "winner-take-all society'' (CEOs, sports stars and movie celebrities getting big payouts) have all been cited as reasons. Costly employer-provided health insurance is also squeezing take-home pay in the middle.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/09/economic_inequality_threatens.html

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[KharmaTrain]

2. E-CON-Omist...is what they should be called

The other day I was reading about a company that had hit real bad times. Revenues were off 25% from a year ago and over 70% from 3 years ago. Ouch. The company has debt up the backside from over-expanding in the late 90's and have outsourced and belt-tightened to the point of driving down revenues further due to a more inferior product and lack of quality control.

Ironically, I get an email from a "forecaster"...in his newsletter (which supposedly he charges big bucks to subscibe to...but somehow I always get them cc'd to me for free...and how he was chirping about the investment opportunities in this same company. He brushed off the financial mess as being "poor business conditions that had existed" and claims (must have one hell of a crystal ball) how the company will turn profits and return on investments for years to come. The sad thing is there'll be enough suckers out there who will buy that shit and throw their money at this company and keep it afloat while it implodes further.

I'm always suspect when I hear one of these people on the radio. They are usually trying to hustle a book or seminar or astroturf some political agenda.

[crim son]

3. That reminds me of the woman who was working three jobs,

whom the Pretzel called, "uniquely American." People are working their asses off for less, and all we can offer them is more coffee.

[bryant69]

4. I heard that too - i think they were trying to do a shtick

But neither was really able to pull it off.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[RoseMead]

5. I wondered about that

It sounded kind of wierd at the time. But that made it seem more real in a way.

Anyway, I still thought it was funny. The Wall Street Journal guy sounded really annoyed. :)