The horrible economy..

[sq764]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050305/wall_street_3.html

[linrom1]

US markets are driven by liquidity; it has nothing to do with economy. Argentina has had a booming stock market for years, yet its economy has collapsed. In Oct of 1996 the Meraval was at 590 and this week it's at 1600. So you tell me how economy correlates with stock market.

[sq764]

US markets are driven by liquidity; it has nothing to do with economy. Argentina has had a booming stock market for years, yet its economy has collapsed. In Oct of 1996 the Meraval was at 590 and this week it's at 1600. So you tell me how economy correlates with stock market.
You cannot correlate the actual stock market levels with a strong economy, rather you can look to the indicators that lead to the strong stock market levels..

When job creation is 50,000 higher than anticipated, this is a good sign

[Secretariat]

More of SQ's good economic news. I think he actually beleives we're in boom times.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050311/economy_9.html

[sq764]

More of SQ's good economic news. I think he actually beleives we're in boom times.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050311/economy_9.html
The fact that you have to search for detracting articles just reinforces the strength of the economy right now.

How was the econonmy booming under Clinton, with the tremendous trade deficit? Or aren't these 2 figures directly related?

[sq764]

More of SQ's good economic news. I think he actually beleives we're in boom times.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050311/economy_9.html
Sec, seriously, what do you look at to measure where the economy stands?

Unemployment rate? Job creation? trade deficit? Stock Market?

Or if it's a combination of these, which outweigh the others in your mind?

[Secretariat]

Sec, seriously, what do you look at to measure where the economy stands?

Unemployment rate? Job creation? trade deficit? Stock Market?

Or if it's a combination of these, which outweigh the others in your mind?

I look at a variety of things. First thing in any fiscal house is indebtedness. Our national debt is the highest it has ever been and is projected to grow larger especially if Bush gets his way with privatization. The trade deficit is the 2nd highest it has ever been. If I am in debt I do not consider myself fiscally sound.

Second, I look at median income in relation to inflation. Is the median income rising faster than inflation? No, it is not which means people are losing in terms of real dollars.

Third, how many workers are below or at the poverty level? A nation is judged by how well it addresses the poorest.

Fourth, the unemployment rate, and whether those new jobs pay equal or higher than those jobs were when they went on unemployment. I would add to this a statistic that is not recorded. The number of jobs being lost overseas which are not going to be replaced here.

Fifth, inflation.

There are other things such as the savings rate, etc, but indebtedness is first and foremost the biggest danger facing our nation. Seems Greenspan and I agree on something. This is why I consider the neocons dangerous. Their foreign policy objectives disregard the deficit in non-stop pursuit of foreign policy objectives.

[sq764]

So under your theory, we have not been fiscally sound since....??

[Secretariat]

So under your theory, we have not been fiscally sound since....??

Under Clinton's last years the median wage was increasing better than inflation, and more importantly the budget was in surplus, and our debt was starting to go down. Today, the debt is totally out of control and if Bush's permanent tax cuts go through the projections by the CBO are through the roof.

[sq764]

Under Clinton's last years the median wage was increasing better than inflation, and more importantly the budget was in surplus, and our debt was starting to go down. Today, the debt is totally out of control and if Bush's permanent tax cuts go through the projections by the CBO are through the roof.
"If I am in debt I do not consider myself fiscally sound"

Does this mean in debt or impoving debt??

[Secretariat]

"If I am in debt I do not consider myself fiscally sound"

Does this mean in debt or impoving debt??

When one gets in debt too far, and spends beyond one's means one is not being fiscally sound. When one begins to spend only within the revenue one collects than one is beginning to be fiscally responsible, and working towards reducing one's past spending excesses. This admin isn't doing that.

[sq764]

When one gets in debt too far, and spends beyond one's means one is not being fiscally sound. When one begins to spend only within the revenue one collects than one is beginning to be fiscally responsible, and working towards reducing one's past spending excesses. This admin isn't doing that.
We've been spending beyond our means for how many years now?

[Secretariat]

We've been spending beyond our means for how many years now?

Since Bush got in. Clinton was running annual surpluses and the Congress was talking about a balanced budget amendment until the neocons took over. Since then it has been deficits galore.

I am not saying I approved of a lot what Clinton did, and still think the thing he'll be remembered for after the Lewisnsky scandal subsides will be his poor decision to embrace NAFTA, but he did keep the fiscal house in order while he was president. This president has maxed out on the credit cards.

[Tom]

I find it rather sad that a president who is spending at record levels and balloning the debt, and actually tries to tell us that we will cut the[/I]deficit[I] in half in a few years (read: wilkl be digging a smaller hole) is so anxious to punish the little guys who go under, many for no fault of thier own.
Mr. Bush, shame on you.