Whining US CEOs: Economy is "Dismal"

[Pale Blue Dot]

The whiny CEO's of America are so wrapped up in their mental recession, they don't see how great the economy is: CEOs Portray a Dismal Forecast for the U.S. (Buncha bitches!)

Here's what these damned Chief Executive Kvetchers had to say:

"With the economy overtaking Iraq as one of the main issues this election year, Chief Executive magazine conducted a survey among CEOs between June 13 and June 27 in an effort to gauge CEO sentiment on the direction of the U.S. economy.

CEOs were asked which policy position they think the U.S. should take to increase or maintain American competitiveness as well as questions on which countries will generate the highest number of jobs and where the top paying jobs will be in the future.

An overwhelming majority of American CEOs believe that in order to create the highest paying jobs and maintain the U.S.’ economic competitiveness, the government needs to reduce taxes and regulation, privatize education and remove restrictions on trade . . .

Frustrated with the current economic policy, another CEO said, “The formula for international competitiveness is quite simple: minimal trade restrictions, predictable regulation, competitive tax rates, strong educational system, trade balance (not deficit), predictable currency, low interest rates, responsible fiscal spending and low corruption. Unfortunately, under the Bush administration, we have failed on many of the factors, with corruption and macroeconomic incompetence being the most insidious.”
http://www.chiefexecutive.net/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=E0691436F8944E27B714516C707450D5

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2008/07/us-ceos-economy.html

[gratuitous]

1. Has Phil Gramm been notified?

Get George Will over to these CEOs, stat! It's time they learned that corruption and macroeconomic incompetence is what they voted for when they installed the Bush administration. And it's very, very good for America.

By the way, for the CEO complaining about the laundry list of items that the administration is fucking up, let me tell you what should be at the top of your list: That strong educational system. And one factor that you completely left off your list is paying your workers a living wage.

[Beausoleil]

2. But these things will surely help!

"An overwhelming majority of American CEOs believe that in order to create the highest paying jobs and maintain the U.S.’ economic competitiveness, the government needs to reduce taxes and regulation, privatize education and remove restrictions on trade . . ."

So hasn't that been working for you? Less taxes on the rich, no regulation (or none being enforced), decimating public education and "free" trade, yeah, that'll do it. :sarcasm:

Nothing like asking for more kerosene to put out the fire. :silly:

[Romulox]

3. "I believe in the Free Market. I believe in Capitalism. I believe in Free Trade."

"I believe in the Free Market. I believe in Capitalism. I believe in Free Trade. I am not worried about us being able to compete anywhere on earth with American workers"

Barack Obama, January 7, 2008


:scared: :scared: :scared:

[Beausoleil]

5. I believe in regulated capitalism

and fair trade.

Unregulated, "free market", predatory capitalism and free "race to the bottom" trade is what is killing us.

I don't know if Barack gets it or not.

[Romulox]

7. Hey, I'm right there with you. Unfortunately, our nominee is not.

"I don't know if Barack gets it or not."

He's surrounded himself with rightwing "Chicago School" economists--apologists for "free trade", Wal Mart, globalization, etc. He has barely mentioned the economy in his campaign, even though that is bar far Americans' #1 concern.

I think it's safe to say he does not.

[Beausoleil]

8. "Chicago School"

That's the scary thing. I know the University of Chicago must have given us something of benefit, but all I can think of is the Milton Friedman supply-siders and the Leo Strauss neocons and the disastrous policies they came up with. What the hell is wrong with that place? They might as well call it the University of Destroying America.

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. And what a good choice for our nominee he is.

:sarcasm:

[DailyGrind51]

9. I believe a "well-regulated sector of commerce" should be written into

the U.S. Constitution to eliminate the need for future debate about regulation.

[DailyGrind51]

4. "the government needs to reduce taxes and regulation, privatize education and remove restrictions

on trade..." But, isn't that how we got into this mess in the first place?:crazy:

[bulloney]

15. We've been doing this steadily since Reagan.

During that time our economy has become increasingly polarized as the haves are raking in a larger share of the overall wealth and the have-nots have lost ground.

And their solution is to keep doing what's gotten here.

If brains were cotton, you couldn't get enough from these idiots to make a T-shirt for a piss ant.

[Selatius]

6. Privatize education? That'll only make education more expensive because of the profit mark-ups.

Currently, the education system operates as a public trust, not a private commodity. Because its sole purpose is to educate people, it does not need to show a profit margin at the end of the year, but if it is privatized, it will have to deal with the added fiduciary burden of generating wealth for shareholders. That means they will jack up prices beyond operating costs to satisfy shareholders. This means the parents would be stuck paying the higher costs with no guarantee that there would be an improvement in education levels.

[DS1]

11. Sell us something that isn't made in China. For once!

Please!

[Romulox]

12. "Never mind what's been selling. It's what you're buying."

[El Pinko]

13. Talk about your broken records...

An overwhelming majority of American CEOs believe that in order to create the highest paying jobs and maintain the U.S.’ economic competitiveness, the government needs to reduce taxes and regulation, privatize education and remove restrictions on trade . . .

They've been pushing that mantra for 30 years, and for most of the last 30 years, they've gotten exactly what they wanted - in spades.

They keep pushing Herbert Hoover policies, of course they will get Herbert Hoover results.

It's about time we tried a little Franklin Roosevelt instead.

[bulloney]

14. These CEOs are probably lining themselves up for some free for nothin' money

from Bush's government.

Keep reducing taxes, they say. Then they wonder why our schools crank out kids who don't have basic reading and math skills. They wonder why our roads and bridges crumble. They wonder why our cities' infrastructures are falling apart.

These people with the "let someone else pay for it" mentality are the real Reagan legacy.