Why is good news (Fewest Job cuts in 2 years, Lowest Job cuts planned for 9 years,

[denem]

US Manufacturing Output jumped in December), so often met with howls of derision at DU. I know why it's reported like than at Faux, but there's more than skepticism going on here.

Then again, Poor news is relished?

[MercutioATC]

1. Because it's sort of like applauding when a mortally injured person has almost bled out.

"See? He's lost a lot of blood and we've done nothing to stop it, but he's finally started bleeding slower now!"

[Tansy_Gold]

2. For my part

And I haven't even commented on that particular bit of news, but I will say that most of my comments on DU are not denigrating the facts but rather I have seriously questioned if the information being presented is accurate AND I have asked the news be presented in context.

First of all, how were the numbers arrived at? We know that that government statistics like CPI and so on are blatantly manipulated to generate a particular response from the general public AND to affect associated government policies in the way the government wants. For example, CPI has been manipulated to keep SS and other COLAs down, protecting the "lock box" funds for looting by other entities.

If we already know CPI is and has been manipulated, what do we know about the statistics that led to the release of information that manufacturing output grew? Compared to what? What kind of manufacturing output? What spurred it? Is it due to a change in particular government policies? What policies? Did they work as expected?

Second of all, if conditions for the mass of middle- and working-class Americans is continuing to deteriorate in the face of these statistics, what does that tell us? We already know that increased productivity ratios over the past 10 to 20 years have not translated into increased wealth/earnings for the workers. Wages are stagnant relative to inflation. Are these numbers, therefore, merely something thrown out by some government bureau with the intended result that the populace drop their torches and pitchforks to raise flags and bouquets of flowers?

Some of us are merely trying to instill some criticial thinking skills, some reasonable skepticism into the debate. Or at least that's what I've tried to do.

Apparently it doesn't work much.



Tansy Gold

[denem]

3. Thank you for you thoughtful reply.

Much appreciated.

[proudohioan]

9. Excellent feast for thought!

I love people who think "outside the box".
:)

[Schema Thing]

13. have you been seriously questioning the numbers as they tumbled

over the past two years?

[Tansy_Gold]

17. I questioned them before they tumbled,

then watched them catch up to reality.

[Schema Thing]

21. so they didn't really tumble the past two years?

[neverforget]

15. +1

Good post.

[dmallind]

4. Because some only seek confirmation of Malthusian scenarios

Signs of improvement challenge preconceived notions that all will be doom just as much as signs of decline challenge preconceived notions that nothing can ever go wrong.

Critical analysis is one thing, but assuming any positive signs are outright fraud is simply dishonest and desperate confirmation bias. Things can improve. There are some things which are improving such as manufacturing activity, but the doomers keep saying it can't be true because they don't have a union factory at the bottom of their street hiring every day. Some things are starting to turn a corner but not improving just yet like job numbers, but doomers say this cannot be because a lot of people are still unemployed. Yes some things are getting worse still too such as foreclosures. Obviously foreclosures are a VERY lagging indicator. They didn't start shooting up in Dec 2007 when the recession started and they sure as hell won't start improving until pretty much everything else has. Even here though doomers assume it won't get better and that (literal DU quote) we need to learn how to "catch rats for stew if they don't want to starve".

I don't think rat stew is in the future for almost any of us. I don't think everything is sunshine and roses and that we have full employment and rising real incomes for all. Apparently that's unacceptable, and if I deny the first I must somehow be claiming the second.

[FrenchieCat]

16. This is the most truthful and accurate post in this thread.

[tavalon]

5. My ex-husband finally got a job after a year of looking

Anecdotal, I know. But I am, nonetheless, thrilled for him!

[proudohioan]

7. That's great news! Congrats to you both.

:)

[tavalon]

11. I had offered to put him up here in Seattle so he could look for work up here

I'm kind of relieved because having a couch surfer, even if he is one's ex of 16 years, can be trying. His current wife is ecstatic and I know things will be much better for them.

[proudohioan]

6. Because after a while, the same rhetoric starts sounding condescending.

The media cheerleaders sprinkle their "gloom and doom world's gonna end tomorrow" stories with "but hey, things are really starting to look up" pieces of fluff. Frankly, it's just become offensive.

No, I don't relish bad news, but I'm tired of being patronized by the media injecting their cheery comments like "on a welcome note" when reporting the "not so good, but better than a kick in the ass" stories. Just report the damn news and quit talking down to us; we're not as stupid as you'd like us to be.

[midnight]

8. Listen to this. Then keep in mind all the money pumped into Wall street.

Is the voice of the middle class becoming more violent?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cIRQMT1lkI
Another d.u. posted this today, and I think it might explain another piece of puzzle.

[proudohioan]

12. Thanx for posting!

[tavalon]

14. Damn

We needed Franklin Roosevelt and we got Bill Clinton.

[Clio the Leo]

10. I only get "breaking news!" tweets from CNN and MSNBC.....

.... re: the job or housing numbers when they're bad, NEVER when they're good.

[Cha]

18. Because that's all they know

how to do..and I could give a fuck what "they" think of the good news that's coming from the admin.

[scheming daemons]

19. Because they WANT the system to collapse... good news for the rest of us is bad news for them

Someone upthread said something about Malthusian scenarios.

That's exactly it.

They have a world view that says humanity is in decline and specifically, this nation is in decline.

Any evidence that the current financial mess is only cyclical instead of systemic shatters their world view.



...so they have to spin it as bad or deal with sever cognitive dissonance. Most people choose the former.

[lynne]

20. Might want to wait for January's data -

- as companies are known to regroup, revamp, make changes and lay people off effective the beginning of the year. I was laid off on Monday as were three of my co-workers. The company restructured effective January 1st. This is the first of what we were told would be more layoffs. The remaining staff had benefits reduced. I had been with the company over 20 years.

Just read another huge firm in my area will be laying off 1,400 by April from several different locations. Yeah . . . things are really looking up! :eyes: