"Conservative" Crying Thread Over Job Numbers

[Velleity]

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Unemployment down, real unemployment down, productivity has soared, and we may have actually created jobs in November. Hours worked are up, as are temp numbers (which is very important). We're not out of the dumpster yet but all arrows seem to be pointing that way. The job numbers today are the best numbers since December 2007.

Sure you will try to spin this as something other than it really is, because that's what you "conservatives" do. So let's see your disinformation on this one.

[Observer]

So, you are happy that unemployment is at 10% instead of the 4.something percent it was at under President Bush?

That's nice.

[SpaceCadet]

Things are slowly improving, naturally, just as they would have whether or not a trillion dollars had been committed to "stimulus".

But at least we're not in a depression.

[Boffo]

it's a positive sign

I applaud President Bush for leaving and inheriting to  President "change you can believe in" Obama  a road map out of this nasty world wide economic cycle

c'mon guys

ah one

ah two

YAY BUSH !

[SpaceCadet]

it's a positive sign

I applaud President Bush for leaving and inheriting to  President "change you can believe in" Obama  a road map out of this nasty world wide economic cycle

c'mon guys

ah one

ah two

YAY BUSH !

I applaud Pres. Bush for leaving as well.      Even more, I appreciate not having heard from him since.  It probably wouldn't hurt for Obama to take that as something of an example now also.  

[Velleity]

Things are slowly improving, naturally, just as they would have whether or not a trillion dollars had been committed to "stimulus".

But at least we're not in a depression.

If they let the banks collapse, as they let Lehman collapse, we would in deep doo doo.

Not sure what difference the word "depression" makes. Things were pretty bad. "Recession" was never anything more than a euphemism for "depression" which was a euphemism for "panic," the older term for these kinds of crises.

A lot of it is about market psychology, so the terms actually do matter.

As for "naturally" I suggest that's a poor choice of words in this context. There is nothing "natural" about our system. It is a contrivance. Adam Smith's "invisible hand" idea has been abused.

Which brings us back to part of what you may not appreciate about the stimulus, which is its affect on the market psychology. Which do you think is more efficacious: 1) do nothing and tell people "tough shit for you," or 2) act and show people you're willing to do what it takes to get things rolling again?

[Velleity]

it's a positive sign

I applaud President Bush for leaving and inheriting to  President "change you can believe in" Obama  a road map out of this nasty world wide economic cycle

c'mon guys

ah one

ah two

YAY BUSH !

Most HeadButters have no sense of humor.

You're the exception. 

[IM2]

Observer,

So, you are happy that unemployment is at 10% instead of the 4.something percent it was at under President Bush?

That's nice.

The reason unemployent rose to 10 percent is because of Bush.

Space Cadet,

Things are slowly improving, naturally, just as they would have whether or not a trillion dollars had been committed to "stimulus".

But at least we're not in a depression.

Again your first sentance is untrue. Ask Greenspan.

[Velleity]

So, you are happy that unemployment is at 10% instead of the 4.something percent it was at under President Bush?

That's nice.

Who was president last November?

Answer: George W. Bush.

Who is president now?

Answer: Barack Hussein Obama.

What were the job losses last November compared to what they are now?

Answer: Last November 181,671; now 50,349.

Which is better: job losses of 181,671 in a month or 50,349 in a month?

Answer: If you were smart you'd quit now, while you're ahead. This line of thought isn't going to work out for you.

[Observer]

It is not nearly as rosy as you would like to pretend.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

How many more people are unemployed today than in November 2008?

[Velleity]

It is not nearly as rosy as you would like to pretend.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

How many more people are unemployed today than in November 2008?

Oh great master of irrelevance and the almighty red herring, things in nature don't travel faster than the speed of light, as far as we know.

Similarly the economy doesn't move anywhere near the speed of light. Things happen slowly and incrementally. The fact that you don't want to own up to is that Obama did nothing to create the current situation, most assuredly acted in a way that actually lessened the crisis significantly, and probably could not have done much more to have ameliorated conditions a whole lot more. Maybe more stimulus would have helped, except fiscal policy just does work that quickly.

I know you wanted the Great Republican Depression II and you wanted to wipe out the middle class completely. Better luck to you next time, if it ever happens for you again in your lifetime.

[IM2]

How many more people are unemployed today than in November 2008?

This mess is a GW Bush/Dick Cheney production.

[lucy]

" Which is to say, if you are in a top tax bracket, every penny you earn between January 1 and August 25 will go straight into the coffers of one layer of government or another.

And this while more than 40% of Americans pay no income taxes at all.

This is just another symptom of the single biggest problem now facing the U.S. (and for that matter, the world): the ballooning size and cost of government. And there are no speed bumps in sight.

Even so, endless complaining won’t really do anything other than raise the blood pressure. So, what can we actually do about it? Some ideas:

   1.

      Buy gold. Unless and until there is an angry upwelling of popular discontent at the growing size of government – and it has to be far more substantive than just a few vocal talk radio jocks, or even 100,000 or so people peacefully gathering on the Mall in Washington DC – the government will continue to grow, or even just keep running at current levels, which means the destruction of the dollar. Many tangible assets will do well, but their intrinsic value as money means gold (and silver) will do best.

      As I write, gold has again broken to a new, non-inflation-adjusted high. As with all markets, it will fall back now and again, but the trend is very much up.

   2. Buy gold shares. The leverage in the high-quality gold shares can boost your returns by a factor of 2X to 10X, and more. Again, there will be setbacks, but shares in the right companies with the right projects will trend higher and higher until the Mania phase kicks in, and then things will get really interesting.

   3. Be smart about taxes. Keep an eye on Pelosi’s tax trap – if you have appreciated assets that qualify for long-term capital gains, consider selling them before year-end to lock in the lower capital gains tax. Likewise, if you run a business and you can pull any income into this year, versus next, consider doing so.


   4.

      Diversify globally. Why do it? The short version is that it’s a big world out there, and there are a lot of places that are incredibly beautiful, safe, and unbelievably inexpensive. For many non-U.S. citizens, expatriating means you’ll pay no income tax, but even if you are a U.S. citizen, there are substantial tax benefits in moving offshore. And what you can save in cheaper everyday living allows you to live like royalty, for a fraction of the cost. Which means you can save more.

      Personally, I favor Argentina. Some years ago I went on a three-year quest to find paradise on earth, and Argentina was ultimately the hands-down winner.

   5. Recognize the bureaucracy for what it is. These are not “public servants” but rather an entrenched interest group that is actively engaged in a systematic effort to look after itself, with no regard for the damage it’s doing to your family finances and to the country.

Now, there are two schools of thought as to how you deal with the bureaucrats. My dear friend and partner, Doug Casey, would tell you to take every opportunity to let the bureaucrats know you hold them in low esteem. For example, by asking airport security personnel how old they were before they realized they wanted to make a career out of pawing through people’s underwear.

The second approach is to accept that the bureaucrats, backed by the voting masses, hold most of the cards at this point. Poking at them with a stick risks unnecessary aggravation and worse. So, keeping a low profile and going about your business is certainly a rational choice.

Of course, there’s no better way of maintaining a low profile than moving to another country where you’ll be welcomed as a visitor and not viewed as a serf.

Is there no hope? One obvious scenario is for the Democrats to lose control of either the House or the Senate come next November’s elections, thereby returning the nation to some form of political gridlock. The best of all worlds, in my view. And the way things are heading, this is now a certainty.

But before you get overly excited about the prospects of a political solution, don’t forget the role the Republicrats have played in bringing the nation to this sorry state over the past several decades. If you’re holding out for an outbreak of capitalism or other signs of fiscal sanity once Republicans regain some modicum of political power, you are delusional. They may package their programs in different-colored paper, but when you rip away the wrappings, you’ll find the same statism and the same promises of a chicken in every pot.

Look after yourself – no one else is going to do it for you.

Gold has just hit a new record-high… and the small-cap Canadian explorers with good-sized deposits are sure to be dragged along into the stratosphere. In the current issue of Casey’s International Speculator, Editor Louis James names eight junior gold miners that – due to their top-quality assets – are destined to become takeover targets for the big players in the gold industry."

David Galland,
Managing Director


link  http://www.kitco.com/ind/Galland/dec032009.html

I don't see how small businesses, which are the backbone of the economy here, and not mega-corporations--at least for job-creation for American workers goes--can make it with added taxes and such. I read unemployment insurance per worker in Florida is going up from about a hundred dollars a worker to more than a thousand dollars a worker, for example....

You cannot tax those who create and produce to pay irrationally for those who don't ultimately. Something has to give. Let businesses have some tax credits, etc and stop the entitlements to illegals, etc who have no business getting government money--I mean the fraudulent, not those who are really and truly in dire need...There is so much abuse that could be examined, really. And the spending abroad and such, even horrific war expenditures, could be reduced....the monetary policy could start reflecting fiscal accountability, as well....

Gold might be a good hedge for those with the money to invest...actually we should have been alerted nationally about the value of investing in gold a lot sooner, imo..like when it was selling for 250 bucks an ounce/ ouch/



 

[IM2]

Lucy,

I don't see how small businesses, which are the backbone of the economy here, and not mega-corporations--at least for job-creation for American workers goes--can make it with added taxes and such. I read unemployment insurance per worker in Florida is going up from about a hundred dollars a worker to more than a thousand dollars a worker, for example....

htere are laws that exempt smal businesses from certainthings. IN order to meet most requirements yourbsuniess has to make at least 1,000 per day. I know that if you make 1,000 per day that you can afford things such as unemployment insurance, health care, and life insurance. I know this because I was atthe helm of a business that made this kind of money and we were able to do it. So lucy the excuse you keep using really does not hold weight with me.

You cannot tax those who create and produce to pay irrationally for those who don't ultimately. Something has to give. Let businesses have some tax credits, etc and stop the entitlements to illegals, etc who have no business getting government money--I mean the fraudulent, not those who are really and truly in dire need...There is so much abuse that could be examined, really. And the spending abroad and such, even horrific war expenditures, could be reduced....the monetary policy could start reflecting fiscal accountability, as well....

This is another fancy lie told to the gullible. The problem lies in our priorities as a nation. If we put the resources into business that we do into war, we would not have any problems at all. Illegals are not the drain, but they are the scapegoat and you fall for it. Wwhat entitlements do illegals get lucy? Can you name one please?

Gold might be a good hedge for those with the money to invest...actually we should have been alerted nationally about the value of investing in gold a lot sooner, imo..like when it was selling for 250 bucks an ounce/ ouch/

Commodities are the best investment. People will always eat. It is a requirement for life itself. Gold is not.

[makesenseplease]

Oh great master of irrelevance and the almighty red herring, things in nature don't travel faster than the speed of light, as far as we know.

Similarly the economy doesn't move anywhere near the speed of light. Things happen slowly and incrementally. The fact that you don't want to own up to is that Obama did nothing to create the current situation, most assuredly acted in a way that actually lessened the crisis significantly, and probably could not have done much more to have ameliorated conditions a whole lot more. Maybe more stimulus would have helped, except fiscal policy just does work that quickly.

I know you wanted the Great Republican Depression II and you wanted to wipe out the middle class completely. Better luck to you next time, if it ever happens for you again in your lifetime.

This is where I get confused, Vel.

The Banks are paying off their loans.

General Motors has laid off thousands and given their executives their bonuses.

This happened at the speed of light.

As our fearless leader would say, "where are the jobs?"

Why are Americans still bending over and why is Mr. Obama standing there holding a jar of grease?