Go, Economy!

[Yoshi]

I know you support what you think is right, as opposed to solely what personally benefits you.

[Fe 26]

I don't think razor sees a difference in those two things

[Yoshi]

There are people in this thread who don't, but I am pretty confident Ramon isn't one of them.

[Razor Ramon]

Don't feed the troll, Yoshi. I know you and I differ in a lot of things, but we don't have to bring a retard to arbitrate our discussions. Either way, I can't see how we can get out of our recession without injecting some money into our own economy. It'll cost tax dollars that we don't have but it'll save us from pumping tons of cash into unemployment later.

[Fe 26]

but we don't have to bring a retard to arbitrate our discussions.

why bring in another when he has you, right?

[Bojack]

7.7% unemployment for one month is restoration? That's the misleadingly low metric, and it's still terrible. What lie did the jackass tell about what unemployment would be after the first round of wasted money on bailouts again?

7.7 is how many points away from full employment? 1...2...3.. maybe? About 3 whole percentage points away from basically max employment? Average unemployment for the past 50 years has been what, from 4 to 7%? It's still trending upwards and the stock market seems to be remaining fairly stable and trending upwards too. If holiday shopping is strong this season (haven't heard tell of it not being) then the positive trend should continue. Eventually, even the U6 numbers will get better too. It seems to be quite safe to say the patient is out of ICU and will be out of the hospital altogether fairly soon. This is very much the opposite outcome conservative chodes went on about when Cap'n O was elected the first time.

[Fe 26]

It really isn't worth name dropping the stock market.

Most of the businesses in the US aren't on the stock market anyway. It isn't really the indicator of national economic health that people want to make it out as.

[Diff-chan]

7.7% unemployment corresponds to an economy running about 6% below potential. With a GDP of $14.5 trillion, that's about $870 billion. That is how much the government should be pumping in, and the record low interest rates and stable inflation should be a nudge towards that. Instead our wonderful leaders are talking about cutting spending and raising taxes by about 2-3 times that number. That's not smart.

[Yoshi]

7.7 is how many points away from full employment? 1...2...3.. maybe? About 3 whole percentage points away from basically max employment? Average unemployment for the past 50 years has been what, from 4 to 7%? It's still trending upwards and the stock market seems to be remaining fairly stable and trending upwards too. If holiday shopping is strong this season (haven't heard tell of it not being) then the positive trend should continue. Eventually, even the U6 numbers will get better too. It seems to be quite safe to say the patient is out of ICU and will be out of the hospital altogether fairly soon. This is very much the opposite outcome conservative chodes went on about when Cap'n O was elected the first time.

You understand that, like the climate, the economy is cyclical, right? The market can take care of these things on its own too. We can debate all day about which one accelerates the process, but you're crazy if you think Obama's policy are the lone driver of improvement. Even the informed on your side of the fence aren't saying that. See below:

7.7% unemployment corresponds to an economy running about 6% below potential. With a GDP of $14.5 trillion, that's about $870 billion. That is how much the government should be pumping in, and the record low interest rates and stable inflation should be a nudge towards that. Instead our wonderful leaders are talking about cutting spending and raising taxes by about 2-3 times that number. That's not smart.

(Still responding to Bojack) Either you're a Keynesian, or you're not. diff gets that if you are, the dumbasses in Washington aren't doing enough. If you aren't, they're doing too much. They're dumbasses, and you're giving undo credit either way.

[Bojack]

I fully understand they aren't doing enough, mostly due to GOP intransigence on many things. I mostly posted because so many people predicted economic doom or a thousand years of darkness from electing Obama. Instead we're seeing a slow and steady recovery despite everything else. I also never said Obama's policies alone were the driver. That would be strawmanning on that one.