50 Economic Numbers From 2011 That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe..........

[dustup]

• Tweet

50 Economic Numbers From 2011 That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe

Even though most Americans have become very frustrated with this economy, the reality is that the vast majority of them still have no idea just how bad our economic decline has been or how much trouble we are going to be in if we don't make dramatic changes immediately.  If we do not educate the American people about how deathly ill the U.S. economy has become, then they will just keep falling for the same old lies that our politicians keep telling them.

Click here to see the 50 numbers >

Read more: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/50-economic-numbers-from-2011-that-are-almost-too-crazy-to-believe#ixzz1h8oJsOx8

[foodserver]

Dustup, this is an outstanding thread for which you will get nothing but grief.  Just for the record, I want to point out that #29 the trade deficit is not necessarily a bad thing.  When American consumers are buying more foreign goods than foreigners are buying American goods, that is the sign of a HEALTHY economy and not a sick one.  While I haven't looked, I highly doubt the US has ever (in say,  the last 50 years or so) had a strong economy without a trade deficit.

I haven't seen this in a while but I'm always amused when the media finds someone wearing a suit and tie and actually in possession of some kind of alleged education somberly complaining about a trade deficit with Japan.  The deficit should be looked upon as a kind of "report card" on the American economy but not in the way that it's detractors often do.

"So let me get this straight Mr. Economist.  At last count Japan had about 40 million residents and the US about 300 million.  You actually think it would be a "good sign" if 40 million Japanese were able to buy more goods and services from the US than our 300 million residents could buy from them? 

Really?"

In any case I said you would get grief.  I hope you do because it will be the only way I believe anyone actually read your article.  Something I hope everyone does get a chance to look at.

[dustup]

Dustup, this is an outstanding thread for which you will get nothing but grief.  Just for the record, I want to point out that #29 the trade deficit is not necessarily a bad thing.  When American consumers are buying more foreign goods than foreigners are buying American goods, that is the sign of a HEALTHY economy and not a sick one.  While I haven't looked, I highly doubt the US has ever (in say,  the last 50 years or so) had a strong economy without a trade deficit.

I haven't seen this in a while but I'm always amused when the media finds someone wearing a suit and tie and actually in possession of some kind of alleged education somberly complaining about a trade deficit with Japan.  The deficit should be looked upon as a kind of "report card" on the American economy but not in the way that it's detractors often do.

"So let me get this straight Mr. Economist.  At last count Japan had about 40 million residents and the US about 300 million.  You actually think it would be a "good sign" if 40 million Japanese were able to buy more goods and services from the US than our 300 million residents could buy from them? 

Really?"

In any case I said you would get grief.  I hope you do because it will be the only way I believe anyone actually read your article.  Something I hope everyone does get a chance to look at.

.....your point is made and acknowledged.....I concur.....

[nraforlife]

.............................At last count Japan had about 40 million residents and the US about 300 million..................... 

Try again. There are about 100 million nips.

[foodserver]

Try again. There are about 100 million nips.

Thanks NRA.  I'm dating myself to the last time I was particularly concerned about Japan's population.  The principle is of course the same...

[ivanm]

.....your point is made and acknowledged.....I concur.....

I see his point, but something about it doesn't add up.  Our humongous trade deficits have helped to grow the production resources and the economies of our foreign competitors while we have regulated our resources off shore to boot.  Instead of pissing so much away on electronic gadgetry from Japan we should have have been investing more into our own economy.

This reminds me of a tourist area who is almost wholly dependent on tourist trade to keep it alive, and the ski areas of Colorado come to mind.  They don't have a thing they can export for cash and are wholly dependent on people coming to their area to gve them the life blood they need. So every thing is cool until they have a dry season with little snow to ski on or when fuel costs keep people home.  Then the people are up shit creek without a paddle because they don't have local production that can be shipped out of the area for cash income to tide them over until the next good season comes along.

With the US economy we have an equivalent thing in that we have become overly dependent upon imports of finished goods, even raw materials.  So if an embargo sets in or a war breaks out that cripples the sea lanes we will really feel it.  And all too many of the things we now import are critical to our defense effort.
 
It all comes down to keeping things in balance.  And to this old farmer boy it means trading the things you have a surplus of for the things you have a deficit of.  The farmer effectively trades his grain, hay, meat, milk, and eggs for the finished goods and the other items he cannot make himself, and when it comes to the point that he cannot offset his purchases with his sales he is a screwed pidgeon.  I think our national economy works the same way over time.

When you look at the humongous amount we are borrowing from our trading pardners it becomes obvious how we are financing this trade deficit that foodserver thinks is such a great thing. What do we do when it comes time to pay up?  Isn't that the dumb assed attitude of the Congress and the POTUS, buy now pay later?

If that is smart policy and if financing a trade deficit with money borrowed from those we are trading with is good business than that is a new one on me.  It is no damned wonder that rogue nations can build a bomb, we finance it with our imbalance of trade.