Can someone explain to me how anyone can think the economy is doing well?

[anarch]

I don't get it. Seriously, if anyone can just play Devil's Advocate for a minute and just break it down to me what exactly the argument is for the point of view that things are looking up.

It seems to me that mortgage equity withdrawals and consumer spending (on credit) is all that's keeping us out of a recession. And that depends on your point of view, anyway. Unless you're a weapons manufacturer or an oil company, I just fail to see how things are very rosy at all.

[Mythsaje]

1. It all depends on where you're getting your info...

If the Fox News types, and the mainstream media, continue to ply the people with fabricated "positive" numbers, people who don't bother thinking for themselves (which seems to be a dwindling supply here these days) aren't going to catch on.

[blm]

2. Those benefitting most in Bush's defense-based economy control most media

networks and the business pages of most newspapers.

[porphyrian]

3. They're really rich, or really isolated. - n/t

[anarch]

6. yeah, well I did hear something on the news this morning

about how the U.S. has a new record number of millionaires. If you ask those people, I'm sure things look great.

:eyes:

[porphyrian]

13. Really.

What does that make the total, 200?

[rkc3]

16. 8.3 million.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. If you live in Bizarro world....

[Tracer]

5. The Stock Market.

The SM remains high, for some unknown reason.

I'm no economist and can't explain it, but even my small investments have done well. So, I s'pose that people with kajillions in the market must be smiling all the way to the bank.

[DBoon]

11. If your income from investments is more important than from your job

then the economy might looks good.

If

[politicaholic]

7. Well, you have children, a mortgage, and make $175K+...

tax write-offs and breaks for the upper class and all of a sudden you're saying, "Wow, what a return! The economy ROCKS!"

[tandot]

8. Millionaires and billionnaires are getting richer, so the economy must be

doing well :sarcasm:


Who cares about what the poor and the middle class thinks?

[BOSSHOG]

9. Every day I see

old beat up cars and trucks in South Mississippi with bush bumper stickers and yellow ribbons being driven by people who are near or below the poverty level who brag about the economy, because they think they have to. To admit otherwise would be an affront to their false pride and an admission of their wrongness. "Conservatives" just can't have that. On occassion, they fall back on the argument that things would be much worse if democrats were in charge. I do not even engage that nonsense.

[Nay]

28. Sad, isn't it? They would rather sink into oblivion than admit they

voted for the wrong guy. And that business about how it would be even worse had a dem been elected -- same shit in Virginia. As far as I can see, it will have to just all play out to the very end. There isn't much rational thinking going on.

[katty]

10. Call Cheney's office, he'll be happy to explain how sweet it is!

[newportdadde]

12. Some are doing well in niche areas like health care.

There is still good money out there just harder to find, much much harder. I have an IT co-worker who just left the company and hired onto a company dealing with health care. The company is growing and doing well, if I left for the same company and had her new salary it would be a 20% increase in pay. Funny thing is she wasn't really all that good.

On the flip side I know a guy with an MBA who got fired from his second job in a year and is now a supervisor making less then I started for out of college in 99. Guy is very intelligent just didn't pick the right paths and hit some pretty terrible streaks of luck.

Areas of Health care, nurses etc are doing good in demand. Real-estate is/was as well.

Don't get me wrong I'm not bullish on this economy AT ALL infact I'm about as bearish as you can get without shorting large numbers of stocks but you would be surprised at what some of the people you see on the street make, those that survived the outsourcing, the cutbacks.

[w8liftinglady]

19. oh,sure...which is why I dug change out of the couch for my kids' lunch

I have news for you...nurses don't make huge salaries...especially not single mom nurses.after taxes and insurance,I made 32,000 last year.my rent is 1000/month.you do the math.

[newportdadde]

25. RNs make good money here in KC. 32k after taxes and ins is not bad.

After taxes and insurance I will have a take home of approx 30k. With that I support a family which includes my wife, a 2 year old and two 8 week old twin babies. Ow and my mortgage payment is 1250.

Don't be so hostile and angry your not impressing me.

Like I mentioned above I am anything but optimistic about this economy. With ARMS, equity loans and the average American carrying the debt load they have I'm not optimistic. I won't even get into average worker salary actually decreasing the past two 3 years.

[The_Casual_Observer]

14. Consider the point of view of an Oil or Walmart Executive.

[Wednesdays]

15. Oh, but look at all the Help Wanted signs...

I keep seeing "Help Wanted" signs very prominently displayed at places like Wal-Mart and Home Depot. I think it's a desperate attempt to make things look better than they really are (note these are Repuke-friendly companies). For one thing, even though they're taking applications it doesn't guarantee they'll hire you, and even if they do, they'd likely stick you in a graveyard-shift, minimum wage, no benefits position...oh, and did they mention they only need you two hours per week?

[Beaverhausen]

17. According to the freepers, it's all about the Dow Jones

Cause, you know, so many of us own so much stock...

[ramapo]

18. The Media

They say it is ok. There is the daily report on the stock market, which is always rosy. Unemployment is reported to be low with new jobs created every month. Inflation is reported to be low, even low housing, medical, energy, and food prices have all increased significantly. But electronics are cheap. People can spend almost as much as they like thanks to absurdly easy credit. Many "feel" rich because of the increase in real estate values.

Nothing really "bad" has happened. Bush gave out tax cuts. Everything is just f'ing great.

[anarch]

24. so basically, if the real estate bubble bursts

it's an instant recession?

[reichstag911]

20. Well, Exxon/Mobil's CEO's $400 million...

...retirement package is a good sign! For him. (Actually, I think it's the CEO, but I'm not 100%.)

[mondo joe]

21. Stocks are doing well - at least mine are, and I know others

whose are as well.

I don't believe that translates into a well performing economy because it ignores too many other factors. But for some it's probably all they need to know.

[TheFarseer]

22. two reasons

the Stock Market is doing fine although not great and unemployment is not too bad either - statistically speaking at least. Also, they'll pick out any random stat that seems to help their cause so they can say the tax cuts are working.

[Vidar]

23. Corporations & the rich are doing well. What else matters?

[Ksec]

26. Only a few repukes who hate this country believe the economy is good

The rest of us see it in reality. Jobs going away. Wages dropping. Benefits becoming dinosaurs. Outsourcing. Deficits. Local governments going bankrupt. States so poor theyre closing schools.

Like I said. Only a few whackos who cant admit theyre wrong say the economy is good.

[pilgrimm]

27. UE and work force participation rates look good

[LSK]

29. maybe people who didnt loose their job in this economy

And people who dont pay attention.