You Call This An Economic Recovery?

TruthBringer · Post by **TruthBringer** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:16 pm

When Barack Obama, the Federal Reserve and the mainstream media tell us that we are in the middle of an economic recovery, is that supposed to be some kind of sick joke? According to newly released numbers, over 44 million Americans are now on food stamps. That is a new all-time record and that number is 13.1% higher than it was just one year ago. So how many Americans have to go on food stamps before we can all finally agree that the U.S. economy is dying? 50 million? 60 million? All of us? The food stamp program is the modern equivalent of the old bread lines. More than one out of every seven Americans now depends on the federal government for food. Oh, but haven't you heard? The economy is showing dramatic improvement. Corporate profits are up. The stock market is soaring. Happy days are here again.

It just seems inconceivable that anyone can claim that the economy is improving when the number of Americans on food stamps continues to set a brand new record every single month. But the food stamp program is not the only indicator that the economy is still having massive problems. The following are 10 more reasons why the U.S. economy is simply not getting any better....

#1 Some recent statistics actually indicate that the number of unemployed Americans is still going up. According to Gallup, unemployment in the United States rose to 10.3% at the end of February. That is the highest number Gallup has reported since early last year.

#2 The housing industry is still a complete and total disaster. In fact, new home sales in the U.S. in January were 11.2% lower than they were in December. Not only that, the number of new home sales in January was 18.6% lower than the number of new home sales in January 2010. That is not a sign of improvement.

#3 There wouldn't even be much of a housing industry at all at this point if it was not for the U.S. government. Right now the U.S. government is either writing or guaranteeing well over 90 percent of all mortgages in the United States. So what would the housing market look like in 2011 if the government was not in the picture?

#4 In 2010, more than a million U.S. families lost their homes to foreclosure for the first time ever, and that number is expected to go even higher in 2011.

#5 Due to rampant economic decay and record numbers of foreclosures there are areas in most of our major cities that now look like "war zones". For example, the Huffington Post is reporting that there are now approximately 15,000 vacant buildings in the city of Chicago and there are approximately 60,000 vacant houses and apartments in the city of Las Vegas.

#6 According to the Oil Price Information Service, U.S. drivers spent an average of $347 on gasoline during the month of February, which was 30 percent more than a year earlier. This represented 8.5% of median monthly income. So what is going to happen when gas prices go even higher? Sadly, the average price of gasoline in the U.S. has risen another 4 cents since yesterday and it is likely to go much higher from here.

#7 The U.S. trade deficit continues to grow. The trade deficit was about 33 percent larger in 2010 than it was in 2009, and the 2011 trade deficit is expected to be even bigger.

#8 The CredAbility Consumer Distress Index, which measures the average financial condition of U.S. households, declined in every single quarter in 2010.

#9 The number of Americans that have become so discouraged that they have given up searching for work completely now stands at an all-time high.

#10 The U.S. national debt is growing faster than ever. The Obama administration is projecting that the federal budget deficit for this fiscal year will be a new all-time record 1.65 trillion dollars. It is hard to even imagine how much money that is. If you went out today and started spending one dollar every single second, it would take you over 31,000 years to spend one trillion dollars. Long ago the U.S. government should have been getting these deficits under control, but instead they are just getting even larger.

So in light of the statistics above, can anyone really claim that we are in the middle of an economic recovery?

The truth is that there is no sign that any of the long-term trends that are destroying the U.S. economy are even slowing down.

Millions of jobs continue to be shipped overseas.

The U.S. dollar continues to be devalued.

The federal government continues to go into more debt.

State and local governments continue to go into more debt.

Our trade deficit continues to grow.

Our cities continue to be transformed into wastelands as they are being systematically deindustrialized.

The number of Americans that are dependent on the government continues to soar.

The U.S. middle class continues to shrink.

I know that I harp on these themes over and over, but it is vitally important that everyone understands that the mainstream media is lying to us.

The U.S. economy is dying a very painful death and there is no hope on the horizon.

Things are not going to be getting better. Well, they may get a bit better for the boys down on Wall Street, but for the rest of us our standards of living are going to continue to decline.

The best days for the U.S. economy are already behind us. What lies ahead is a whole lot of pain.

We are going to pay the price for decades of corruption and incompetence.

An economic collapse is coming and you had better get ready.

You Call This An Economic Recovery? 44 Million Americans On Food Stamps and 10 Other Reasons Why The Economy Is Simply Not Getting Better

Scrat · Post by **Scrat** » Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:30 am

I really don't know what is going on and I don't think anyone else really does either. I do know that the future is going to be vastly different than anyone thought in the past, I think the age of rampant consumerism has seen its last days.

I do think that America has fallen, we're not 1st world anymore. I think we're second world now and in the next 20 to 30 years we'll see many aspects of the third world here. Possibly sooner. I think the upper class of America is so self involved and cut off from the mainstream of life we're becoming as bad as Russia was in the '90s in some respects. I think Karl Marx was right in many ways but there are many different aspects to this.

I think our biggest problem now is corruption in politics, the biggest culprit being our military and war profiteers. We're spending way too much on our empire around the world while our youths educations are being forfeit and many other things being neglected. There's so many sides to this I don't have the time to put it all up.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sat Mar 05, 2011 12:54 pm

Scrat;1355040 wrote: I think our biggest problem now is corruption in politics, the biggest culprit being our military and war profiteers. We're spending way too much on our empire around the world while our youths educations are being forfeit and many other things being neglected. There's so many sides to this I don't have the time to put it all up.
We've become largely a society of Machiavellian ethics. We've let economics take priority over ethics and morality.

martha · Post by **martha** » Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:41 pm

There is no reason new houses should be built. There are enough vacant homes in USA that noone should have to build new.

War mongerers need to become more aware of their spending. US needs to get our collective noses out of everyone's business and start working with other countries on the humanitarian front instead of trying to be saviour and pay me back king.

US manufacturers need to build quality products that don't cost a fortune and are available and affordable to the dwindling middle class.

School system needs an overhaul. Most public schools waste taxpayers time not to mention most students who attend them. Let's reduce all the nonsense that is going on in schools. Teach the children and let them go home to mommy and daddy.

Kids should not be exposed to so much media inducted sex drugs violence and useless lifestyles on tv internet and theaters. Let's leave something left to the imagination, k, folks?

People need to be held responsible for their health by becoming conscious of what they eat drink and sleep with. Pot smokers should get jobs immediately. Cigarette smokers should not have to foot the bill for all the nonsmoking fat, disabled, homeless people in the country. Just don't go there.

I should be hired as a conservation specialist in every county in the US since I do know what I'm doing.

There's more and I might add later.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 10:30 am

But you're not broke.

VIDEO: America Is NOT Broke | MichaelMoore.com

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 5:11 pm

We're not broke. We're not even destitute. We have the richest poor people in the world. Kinda funny that Michael Moore claims to be such a communist or whatever, while suing for not getting enough money out of one of his hack jobs. You can tell he's two-faced because his spare chin is showing. :wah:

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 3:08 am

Social democrat maybe hardly a communist. Do you disagree with any of the factuql content of what he says?

I find ths intriguing. It gets no cover at all on british TV - which you'd kind of expect really - but as an outsider you kind of wonder of there is a left wing in the states.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 4:32 am

gmc;1355116 wrote: Social democrat maybe hardly a communist. Do you disagree with any of the factuql content of what he says?I disagree with anyone taking half the facts and passing them off as the whole truth. It's been years since I paid any real attention to Moore. He's a hack hypocrite intent on fattening his coffers and has found a niche where he can do that. I believe he doesn't give a tinker's damn about any of what his movies espouse.

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:25 am

#1 Some recent statistics actually indicate that the number of unemployed Americans is still going up. According to Gallup, unemployment in the United States rose to 10.3% at the end of February. That is the highest number Gallup has reported since early last year. And since last November, I've seen 4 new businesses started up in my town of 10,000. I think Americans are starting to figure out that we need to quit depending on the government to get us out of this. It's time again in this country for the entrepreneur

#2 The housing industry is still a complete and total disaster. In fact, new home sales in the U.S. in January were 11.2% lower than they were in December. Not only that, the number of new home sales in January was 18.6% lower than the number of new home sales in January 2010. That is not a sign of improvement.We are in a buyers market and that market is flooded with newly built foreclosed properties going for cheaper than what it would cost a homeowner to build new.

#3 There wouldn't even be much of a housing industry at all at this point if it was not for the U.S. government. Right now the U.S. government is either writing or guaranteeing well over 90 percent of all mortgages in the United States. So what would the housing market look like in 2011 if the government was not in the picture?Let's get the government back to our real infrastructure issues and out of the housing market and find out, shall we? Right now there is no incentive for banks to change the way they operate.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:42 am

A typical politician you mean. He's never hidden the fact he's a millionaire and I don't see why you have to be a failure to be taken seriously when adviocation social reform. If he was he would just get accused of being jealous of the rich. Not everybody wants to be rich, some people actually want to be teachers and the like or just make enough money to get by on and anjoy life with their families. Success is when you achieve what you wanted to do not what someone tells you it is.

What do you think of wendell potter then?

YouTube - Countdown - Michael Moore and Wendell Potter Conversation, Part 1

It puzzles me americans are so concerned about socialism and big government but support a right wing governer that unilaterally rips up employment contracts. What would you do if your employer did that to you?

Scrat · Post by **Scrat** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:11 am

I disagree with anyone taking half the facts and passing them off as the whole truth. What are the rest of the facts?

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:08 pm

gmc;1355119 wrote: It puzzles me americans are so concerned about socialism and big government but support a right wing governer that unilaterally rips up employment contracts. What would you do if your employer did that to you?Is that the way they're spinning it over there? No wonder you have such a negative view of us.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:12 pm

flopstock;1355118 wrote: I think Americans are starting to figure out that we need to quit depending on the government to get us out of this. It's time again in this country for the entrepreneur
:yh_clap

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:36 am

Accountable;1355135 wrote: Is that the way they're spinning it over there? No wonder you have such a negative view of us.

It doesn't get a mention at all that is my own spin on it. You need to bear in mind american internal politics are only of passing interest in the UK I just tend to read a lot. He's removing established terms and conditions of employment and basically telling those affected thay have no choice in the matter. In a democracy that's a hell of an attitude to have.

I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of the situation with your public sector unions but when someone tries to take away the right of workers to organise and negotiate over terms and conditiions in a draconian manner they are looking to provoke a fight and so can hardly be surprised when people get angry.

Americas - news | euronews : the latest international news as video on demand

http://www.euronews.net/

You will notice american internal politics barely gets a detailed mention mention.

There are more and more demonstrations taking place in european cities over cuts being imposed on people who have played no part in the economic crisis. In europe it polarises in to left and right and in france, austria and england right wing parties are gaining ground as the mainstream parties have kind of lost touch with ordinary people. Interestingly when fed up england tends to vote for the right like the BNP and UKIP scots tend to go more to the left except most left wing socialist parties end up self destructing through in-fighting so the SNP get in as a protest vote.

Seems to me you lack a left wing to offset the right wing in your political establishment. You also don't seem to get beyond shouting labels at each other. I listen to you tube when working, some of your arguments about the constitiution are quite bizarre it's a mind set I have trouble relatimng to. But then I'm used to the notion that you change things and move on as circumstances dictate rather than cling to past attitudes or argue about what was actually meant by the founding fathers. A written constitution would be a bad idea for us IMO.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:53 am

gmc;1355143 wrote: It doesn't get a mention at all that is my own spin on it. You need to bear in mind american internal politics are only of passing interest in the UK I just tend to read a lot. He's removing established terms and conditions of employment and basically telling those affected thay have no choice in the matter. In a democracy that's a hell of an attitude to have.
I agree, and it would be horrible if it were even remotely true. I don't have time to go into it now. Try to find an article (and they're rare because they don't play into the established script) that compares WI gov't employees negotiation rights to federal, or that details what the governor is trying to do, rather than what he is doing "unilaterally," since he's not doing anything unilaterally at all.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 4:48 am

Accountable;1355144 wrote: I agree, and it would be horrible if it were even remotely true. I don't have time to go into it now. Try to find an article (and they're rare because they don't play into the established script) that compares WI gov't employees negotiation rights to federal, or that details what the governor is trying to do, rather than what he is doing "unilaterally," since he's not doing anything unilaterally at all.

Be easier of yo put a link in to one. Most of the "established" script seems to be fairly hostile to the protesters so far as I can see. Mind you glen beck may not be representative:-3:yh_rotfl. He's fascinating. While europe is being taken over by islam in glasgow protestant is still kicking the **** out of catholic, maybe they should appoint muslim refs to unite the opposing fans.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:23 am

gmc;1355146 wrote: Be easier of yo put a link in to one. Most of the "established" script seems to be fairly hostile to the protesters so far as I can see. Mind you glen beck may not be representative:-3:yh_rotfl. He's fascinating. While europe is being taken over by islam in glasgow protestant is still kicking the **** out of catholic, maybe they should appoint muslim refs to unite the opposing fans.

From National Public Radio:

Wisconsin Governor Refuses Unions' Offer : NPR

The Wisconsin plan ... [would eliminate] the mandatory union dues teachers and other public workers are required to pay. The plan would take away the ability of most municipal and state employees to bargain any condition of employment beyond their base salaries — including benefits, work schedules and overtime pay. And unions would need to survive a vote of their members every year to stay in existence.

These changes bring the state rules more in line with federal employees' bargaining rules.

From Wall Street Journal:

Strassel: Union Power for Thee, But Not for Me - WSJ.com

[In 1978] Democratic President Jimmy Carter, backed by a Democratic Congress, passed the Civil Service Reform Act. Washington had already established its General Schedule (GS) classification and pay system for workers. The 1978 bill went further, focused as it was on worker accountability and performance. It severely proscribed the issues over which employees could bargain, as well as prohibited compulsory union support.

Democrats weren't then (and aren't now) about to let their federal employees dictate pay. The GS system, as well as the president and Congress, sees to that. Nor were they about to let workers touch health-care or retirement plans. Unions are instead limited to bargaining over personnel employment practices such as whether employees are allowed to wear beards, or whether the government must pay to clean uniforms.
So you see, Wisconsin's deal is even sweeter than the federal one offer's its employees.

See also:

States mixed on union bargaining - State & Federal Government - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington

PolitiFact | The Obameter: Restore collective bargaining rights to federal employees - Obama promise No. 499:

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 2:12 pm

Accountable;1355208 wrote: From National Public Radio:

Wisconsin Governor Refuses Unions' Offer : NPR

These changes bring the state rules more in line with federal employees' bargaining rules.

From Wall Street Journal:

Strassel: Union Power for Thee, But Not for Me - WSJ.com

So you see, Wisconsin's deal is even sweeter than the federal one offer's its employees.

See also:

States mixed on union bargaining - State & Federal Government - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington

PolitiFact | The Obameter: Restore collective bargaining rights to federal employees - Obama promise No. 499:

Some interesting paralells with the the UK I won't bore you with. Just watch I think you will see a lot more protests here - although no doubt they won't get a mention in your news than this does in ours.

What do you think of this point of view?

Rachel Maddow Show

These adverts are really irritating but once you get past that. There will always be a constant battle between left and right and sometimes outright warfare.

This guy id slated to take over the regulation of the banks shortly. Bet he gets replaced.

BBC News - Mervyn King: Banks putting profits before customers

If he doesn't maybe he'll sort the bastards out.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:02 pm

I had never heard the term 'disaster capitalism' before... what a frightening concept. It's not bad enough that big business has destroyed our economy, now they want to own the towns and cities we live in. Where did this kind of thinking come from, it's insane.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 7:32 pm

Accountable;1355208 wrote: From National Public Radio:

Wisconsin Governor Refuses Unions' Offer : NPR

These changes bring the state rules more in line with federal employees' bargaining rules.

From Wall Street Journal:

Strassel: Union Power for Thee, But Not for Me - WSJ.com

So you see, Wisconsin's deal is even sweeter than the federal one offer's its employees.

See also:

States mixed on union bargaining - State & Federal Government - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington

PolitiFact | The Obameter: Restore collective bargaining rights to federal employees - Obama promise No. 499:

Looks like they did more than take away mandatory union dues...

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted Wednesday night to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers after discovering a way to bypass the chamber's missing Democrats.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:29 pm

gmc;1355242 wrote: What do you think of this point of view?I don't like Maddow's politics, but she's generally very thorough in her research. That proposal alone scares the **** out of me and would be enough for me to start calling for my governor's recall. Yet another example showing that the Repubs are no more interested in individual liberty than the dems are.

I wish you well with your banks. Too Big To Fail is far more dangerous than monopolies. There should be a formula applied to corporations to identify when they get so large that their failure would unduly damage the economy, and break them up when they hit that threshold.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:35 pm

SnoozeAgain;1355276 wrote: Looks like they did more than take away mandatory union dues...
I think the dues thing was secondary. The main target was the retirement & benefits packages. Politicians purchase campaign contributions from unions by agreeing to generous retirement benefits. And why wouldn't they? The bill won't come due until years after those politicians are gone. The bill falls in some future schmuck's lap to deal with. If the benefits aren't up for union negotiation (just like at the federal level) they might stay more realistic, or at least flexible.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:15 pm

Scrat;1355040 wrote: I really don't know what is going on and I don't think anyone else really does either. I do know that the future is going to be vastly different than anyone thought in the past, I think the age of rampant consumerism has seen its last days.

I do think that America has fallen, we're not 1st world anymore. I think we're second world now and in the next 20 to 30 years we'll see many aspects of the third world here. Possibly sooner. I think the upper class of America is so self involved and cut off from the mainstream of life we're becoming as bad as Russia was in the '90s in some respects. I think Karl Marx was right in many ways but there are many different aspects to this.

I think our biggest problem now is corruption in politics, the biggest culprit being our military and war profiteers. We're spending way too much on our empire around the world while our youths educations are being forfeit and many other things being neglected. There's so many sides to this I don't have the time to put it all up.

If Id been able to be as eloquent this is what Ive had said.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:18 pm

Accountable;1355288 wrote: I don't like Maddow's politics, but she's generally very thorough in her research.

Exactly why I find her an exceptional headlines host. She digs, puts her spin on it and lays it down. Shes got facts.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:42 am

you were in charge and had the right of it. It's the same battle it's always been just different terminology protagonists and circumstances.

SnoozeAgain;1355265 wrote: I had never heard the term 'disaster capitalism' before... what a frightening concept. It's not bad enough that big business has destroyed our economy, now they want to own the towns and cities we live in. Where did this kind of thinking come from, it's insane.

Calling it feudal capitalism might make more sense. It's also perfectly logical if you see the economy and making money as being distinct from society and that there is no moral obligation to share the wealth as people should make their own way in the world and if they can't they are somehow less worthy as people. What you can take you can keep so laws protecting the worker, giving decent wages or other benefits that of necessity impact on profits are a hinderence to the main function of making money, why share with the plebs who dig the stuff out the ground or labour in the factories? So not giving people the right to ask for better conditions makes sense if you have that kind of mindset. Towns and cities have always been where the money is - just ask the organised crime bosses. So why not privatise them and have all the wealth going to those who deserve it rather than for the benefit of the people. One is good the other is socialism, that's bad. One type of theft legal the other not.

I'm not putting up with this crap makes you a revolutionary. Let's get together to fight this makes you a dangerous one. It's like a medeival serf turning round and saying to his overlord - who said you were in charge?

You need to decide what kind of city you want to live in. Actually I can't see americans putting up with it but if you just look at the media it's kind of a done deal and you've had it and there's nohing you can do to stop it. Which is why I like this forum just to get a different perspective, I find it interestin g but don't want to spend hours reading stuff.

I see the same kind of thing going on in the UK, the labour party is emasculated and labour politicians either incompetent, greedy crooks or in jail because they got caught (like my local ex MP). The tories are shits the liberals are their new bum chums and the SNP are in danger of disappearing up their own backsides, it's like being in a slow car crash - you can see what's going to happen but the driver is too busy playing with himself to notice.

martha · Post by **martha** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:42 pm

I've never understood what 'housing starts' has to do with economic recovery. This must be another ploy by the ultra rich to make more money?