Doesn’t matter what the CBO says, Republicans will win the messaging war.

Anyway, saying things like the economy is terrible but not as terrible as it could have been doesn’t resonate with people who are or fear they may soon be out of work.

Seems like the only secure jobs these days are in the military…

Shorter Republics: “If only Obama would cut taxes.”

Seriously, when HAVE they been right about anything?

However, I do believe this is good news for John McCain.

I can tell you that when Washington props up Wall Street to the tune of trillions, but decides that propping up California (12.5% unemployment) and other States is somehow not the thing to do, locals notice! And the locals will not turn out for people who have chosen to forsake them.

Obama had a small window to win the deal for the Nation, he failed.

Seriously, when HAVE they been right about anything?

They were right about the importance of working the refs. They’ve been blathering for decades about liberal media bias and now they have all the major news orgs working for them.

We don’t want them to be right in choice of candidates, particularly. Encourage them to nominate Palin and Cheney, please.

I don’t know where these jobs are but in the industry where I’m a victim employee, namely broadcasting, it’s the Christmas season which means layoffs in the next couple of weeks. Go GDP!

We need more stimulus we need much lower unemployment.

Voters misread Obama’s gravitas as sincerity when he spoke of his good intentions, as opposed to simply pulling statements out of his ass that might help get him elected… like a politician.

Now if only the media weren’t a willing collaborator in the nonstop right-wing disinformation campaign. Why else would they constantly clamor for access to Republican politicians who have nothing to offer that the news orgs couldn’t get from Frank Luntz’s weekly talking points memo?

Just what Obama, friend of the fat cat, needs. “Proof” that he is fully capable of bestowing favors on Main Street too.

Of course the stimulus package there pales next to the multi-trillion dollar beneficience that was bestowed on….on the Wall Street folks who created the crisis in the first place?

And even though those 1.6 million jobs could not bring the unemployment rate down into the single digits again, things would have been so much worse!!!

Hey, maybe he should try another, even bigger stimulus package?

Nah, that would distract from the tens of billions of dollars needed to expand the military industrial complex in Afghanistan. Let’s not get that carried away with creating new jobs.

You know, in the civilian sector.

The stimulus bill enacted earlier this year has resulted in as many as 1.6 million jobs saved or created this fall, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said Monday evening. [...] Additionally, the CBO said, gross domestic product (GDP) was as much as 3.2 percent higher than it would have been in the absence of the stimulus

While technically accurate, the public thinks it’s BS even if the Rs kept their mouths shut. It’s stupid to tell people they are better off than they would have been as long as unemployment is rising. Besides, more than all the increase in GDP has shown up as corporate profits, not personal income.

Remember, not a single Republican in the House voted for the stimulus bill. In the face of the greatest financial crisis since the 1930s, they voted to do nothing, and if they’d gotten their way, another million Americans would be jobless, and the economy would still be shrinking instead of growing.

Which they would then blame on Obama and the Democrats, and try to ride people’s misery to voctory in 2010 and 2012.

I mean, they’ve pretty much come out and said this explicitly several times. I hope you realize that.

Arming Goldman With Pistols Against Public: Alice Schroeder.

“I just wrote my first reference for a gun permit,” said a friend, who told me of swearing to the good character of a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker who applied to the local police for a permit to buy a pistol. The banker had told this friend of mine that senior Goldman people have loaded up on firearms and are now equipped to defend themselves if there is a populist uprising against the bank.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=ahD2WoDAL9h0

Maybe Obama’s ‘grand jeu’ is to make such a fucking mess of things that the somnambulating American Public will finally wake up, and restrain or throw out all the bums.

According to the government’s own Recovery. gov site, 640,329 jobs were either created or saved to October 30, 2009. It does not break down “created” to “saved” but from what I have seen many of these fall into the saved category from the part of the stimulus that went as aid to the states (and state budgets).

It’s stupid to tell people they are better off than they would have been …

Bush and Cheney did it for eight years. Not on exactly the same issues, but still.

Wasn’t there a post on this site just yesterday that said that this was a losing argument; didn’t poll well, etc ?

If the Dems claim victory on the economy, then they lose since unemployment is still over 10% – BFD you created 1 million jobs – how many were lost in the same period? Why are 1 in 4 children on food stamps? GDP? Who cares about GDP when I’m underemployed?

And now Comcast is about to buy NBC. Wonder how that’ll work out?

Maybe it is time to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine.

yeah, well; that’s one fucking big difference! Abstract fear of some far away ‘other’, vs. fear of standing in line at a soup kitchen with two kids in tow.

But they weren’t as badly off then as they are now. Like W cheating on the election, he got just close enough to pull it off by cheating. O isn’t anywhere near being able to do that.

Yes, “We Saved the Bankers” and “The ship of state is sinking more slowly” and “Still not quite as bad as Bush” are not proving to be as popular with the public as the Democrats had hoped.

It’s stupid to tell people they are better off than they would have been as long as unemployment is rising.

Just who is running Obama’s publicity machine? Bragging about unemployment numbers now is like going to a biker bar passing out a helmet law petition.

Although I agree with your characterization of the GOP, the issue is we still need jobs. I could care less if Gov. Jindal smiles with a huge check passed out, or anyone else. The final issue is to get the green revolution started with jobs.

I had a state sponsored scan of my small house and found that 5 walls were leaking and a few windows. So, I have put solar pv panels on my roof, insulated the 5 walls in my house, caulked and put in double insulated glass.

These were carpenters, highly trained pv panel installers. I got Focus on Energy (Wisconsin) and the Federal government to give me enough credit to get this job done.

We all can help the WH if we do the jobs needed from small insulation analysis to carpenters, to as high as PV panel installers.

PS – I am saving over 1/3 my energy bill, 6,000 tons in 1 year of CO2 and overall savings on the insulation and new windows have lowered my normal bill also.

Comcast won’t be happy until it has a total monopoly on global communications.

In fairness, they probably can’t do anything to make a major network worse than it already is.

Was it you on the other thread who mentioned bailing out the Titanic with a bucket?

I offered an analogy recently about the captain of the Titanic boasting of how much water he’d bailed.

Considering only about $85,000,000 has been spent, that’s only $50 to $150 per job created or saved.

Cheap dates.

We all knew he was a politician. Just like the scorpion told the turtle. Nothing about him said any different. It’s all a huge freaking game, and we are the pawns. Does anyone in a position to make a difference care what I think? The answer is, of course, NO.
I have thought for many years that the whole process is a big joke. A few people with all of the money are pulling the strings. The whole election process is a joke, a bone they throw to us.
Is this the Demi you know and hopefully, love.
It is who I am. Also.

So it was you. I remembered someone said it, but not exactly who to credit.

How much you all want to bet that this story gets little or no time on the networks?

Agreed.

I’ll add Glass-Steagall to throw something towards the financial sector too.

“Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) expressed frustration Tuesday with how slowly the Obama administration is helping small businesses crunched by the financial crisis.”

I swear to G. Obama is vying to create conditions for a public uprising. That’s one way to bring some badly needed ‘change’ to America.

No, but Obama will remind us tonight, like the captain of the Titanic, the importance of staying the course.

Walt Disney made Pluto looks so cute. Who knew a plutocracy would suck so bad?

It was ratfood; see 25.

Iceberg? Lettuce pray.

Ah, Disney? Another way to look at things. In the Jungle Book , even the Snake was, well, erh.. attractive. In a seductive way.
Fortunately, I don’t care how the MSM or Disney poses things. I’ve been thinking on my own for a little bit.

Two really dumb jokes come to mind but I’ll spare you.

Gee, do you think? And, how are we supposed to do that? Gonna lead the charge? On the ground?

In March the Dow hit 6470. Some here were predicting a complete collapse. It is now at 10480 or so.
So, the doom and gloomers here aren’t always right.

Not me, just tell me what the CEOs want me to think so I can do my part for the team.

For the love of all that is holy, NO! If Bush won twice, what’s to say Cheney wouldn’t Diebold another election?

That would be funny if were not true.

That’s why GS is paying such high bonuses, while the unemployment rate continues its upward march. Whether it’s doom & gloom, or back to the races depends on whether you’re part of the 99% or the 1%.

Have no clue what the ceo’s want you to think.
I’m making my world smaller and smaller. Don’t care what they think. Oh, no mistake that I don’t know they rule the universe, but since what I want or think doesn’t matter….I’m honing closer and closer to myself these days.

Cheer up, Roberto and I love ya!

1:20 p.m., time to change out of my jammies and seize the day, see y’all.

I often envision Kaa whenever a certain WH Chief of Staff is mentioned

Peace and justice are never the result of Congress or the President leading but rather the people dragging them along kicking and screaming. Without a movement on the streets people like Obama will merely sell the illusion of change.

Although I agree with your characterization of the GOP, the issue is we still need jobs.

Yes, that would be for a different post. This post is about what the GOP said/did about the stimulus. And they were wrong on both counts. Badly.

I know it’s probably wrong but I find it funny that the GS execs feel that they have to lock and load. I like to think of them looking over their shoulders and curtailing their fancy parties. May they live in fear for the rest of their lives and never know peace again.

Dudes! I’ve been up since 5:00 am. Gonna take I nap before a work from 3 until 8. I know. Gonna miss the big speech. Poor me.
Cheering up now. Thanks.

Hissssssssssss. *g*

In this case, I believe the term “kleptocracy” more accurately describes the Republican model of governance (as well as the behavior of Congress in general). Plutocracy (rule by the rich) still allows the rich to govern with state and welfare interests in mind.. noblesse oblige or whatever. A kleptocracy (rule by thieves) really doesn’t. Another term of use is “kakistocracy” or “rule of the worst.” There are elements of that here too. Certainly, any party that allows the likes of Palin, Cheney, Bachmann and Beck to aspire to and hole leadership roles may be described with such a term. The Klepto-Kakistocracy of America.

Oops,

My earlier post was off because of a source error.

Total stimulous spent = $85B

Total jobs saved = 1.6M

Cost per job = $50,000

No longer a cheap date.

BHO inherited a great steaming pile, which the Republics have spent the past 10 months or so blaming on solely on BHO. Because the Republics/plutocrats own the media, the media points blame at BHO at every opportunity, and the plutocrats incite the mob to shake their gnarled fists and stamp their bony feet about anything BHO does.

Are we better or worse off with BHO as POTUS? I say better because I think that McCain would’ve just cut taxes for his gigarich buddies and left the rest of us to die. And no, I’m neither disappointed, nor surprised, at BHO’s love affair with Wall Street. I figured that it would pretty much be that way when I voted for him. What else is new? Am I “happy” about that? Hell no. But what are the choices?

It came down to: choosing between the evil of 2 lessers. I’d rather have BHO, who has done some slight small good for the economy and continues, rather fecklessly, to try to do more, while, yes, for sure kissing the behinds of his corporate masters on Wall Street. What else is new?

No point in pushing this info (about slight improvements in jobs and economy) in the media that much, because it’s cold comfort, and anyway the Republics will spin it somehow into being a complete disaster anyway. But I’m somewhat glad to see that there is slight improvement. Better than nothing.

But yes: not good enough; hate Wall Street; need a credible jobs creation program; pay attention to Main Street, not Wall Street; levy taxes for the war; stop the damn useless corrupt war; how dare they get bonuses?; yadda yadda … on it goes….

BT, it’s NOT that the stimulus created jobs but that it saved 1.6M jobs. And honestly speaking, I could care less what the Repubs say; I’m much more concerned with what the ObamaRahma Admin has done and is doing.

I just like the word Kakistocracy . It’s very prickly and cold–kind of a mix between a witch’s cackle and a the needles of a cactus. Kakistocracy. Kakistocracy.

kakistocracy

1829, “government by the worst element of a society,” coined on analogy of aristocracy from Gk. kakistos “worst,” superl. of kakos “bad” (which is perhaps related to the general IE word for “defecate”) + -kratia “rule of,” from kratos “strength, power, rule” (see -cracy).

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Kakistocracy+

Craptocracy!

the other one worth mentioning is Thugocracy (rule by thugs). Bushco qualified, I think.

Again, I have far more confidence in this administration’s efforts and intentions than any of the alternatives offered by the GOP. Doesn’t mean I am crazy about every decision they make, but I do believe that I am far better off as an unemployed person than I would be if Obama et al had not acted as they did. Clearly, I have much to be concerned about but the momentum of the steep decline has been leveled so I can catch my breath.

I, for one, am prepared to give this administration some latitude for a while longer because I believe in Healthcare Reform and I believe that they, at least, intend to limit then end the Afghanistan engagement over the next several years.

Time will tell how that will feel in 2011.

well… the Republicans can always fall back on “but the stimulus was un-American” or “this is not what god would have wanted.”

Interesting.. just checked my email to find an invite to a big-oil sponsored reception for arch-climate change denier Peter Farrell. They’re gearing up for the next big rethug project: having undermined the stimulus, stopped employee free choice, and gutted healthcare reform, they can now move onto the next great Republican campaign of No: cap and trade and climate change targets.

First, as I know you know, unemployment is a lagging indicator. Improvement is on its way. It is going to be slow and not as robust as
I would like.

Second, tens of millions of Americans beyond the GS execs have benefited by the improved Dow and what it represents.

Now, I think a lot of your criticism of Obama has merit, but …………………………..

“civilian sector”

has a really useful ring to it. thanks!

To some extent, I think they do live in fear. They’re always locking people out of their lives in one way or another. Gated communities, exclusive clubs, private jets, etc.

gayle, I’m afraid you have not gotten as yet acquainted with the rules of the game. The Republicans and the Democrats are on the same team, US PEONS are the oppositions.

“unemployment is a lagging indicator”, and herein lies the problem. Lagging indicator to what? To an economy run on virtual 60;1 leveraged money? No sir/mam employment/unemployment is the only indicator!

In March the Dow hit 6470. Some here were predicting a complete collapse. It is now at 10480 or so.
So, the doom and gloomers here aren’t always right.

The economy isn’t the stock market. It isn’t even the GDP. The stock market is experiencing a bubble. Debt, the foreclosure overhang, unemployment numbers, capacity utilization tell a very different story of what is going on.

In every successive recovery, starting in the 1980s, the pickup in employment lagged by more & more. It’s because labor is expensive (medical benefits) and capital is cheap (zero interest rates). This time it will lag even more. And the only reason that the pickup eventually arrived is that those with jobs borrowed to spend more than their income. Don’t think that’s the most likely outlook this time, for all the reasons you are familiar with. So I expect a double dip, i.e., after the stim works its way thru the economy, it turns down again.

Stock prices are up because the risk free return is zero, and therefore it’s better to be in any other asset than cash. Also, more than 100% of rise in GDP is going into corporate profits, as personal income is still declining. Finally, although stock ownership is widespread in one way, the bulk of it is highly concentrated. The “tens of millions” you refer to own very little stock per household and much of what they do own is in pension plans.

part of the reason “saving” jobs is an insignificant factor–and I’d bet that most of the jobs have been “saved” and not “created”, but this so-callaed “metric” will never distinguish between the two–is that you can’t accurately count a “saved” job, you have to rely on really far-reaching assumptions, like, the whole financial sector would have collapsed taking with it all the hot dog stands in new york (really, they probably use a standard multiplier, and depending on the job they assume that is saved, can be in the neighborhood of 6, so whatever the number they assume is primarily “saved”, multiply that times, say, 3 as an average (unless they miraculously–and I have no idea who “they” is–give us the formula they used)–so the 1.6 million is, well, lets say very conservatively (given MY assumptions) 900,000. That’s kind of a drop in this bucket. Also–people don’t really appreciate “saved” jobs, because most people whose job is “saved” have no idea what happened and just go on paying their bills, while all of us without jobs, or greatly underemployed and not paying for health insurance–and off our meds–are still clamoring for some “stimulus”. All the stimulus we’re getting is people telling us to fuck off. So please be thoughtful with your headlines; I’m all about the D’s in charge but my vote doesn’t matter (arizona votes are like that)–and there is no excuse for republicanism (No More Republicans Ever–NMRE–is my motto)–but things arent as rosy as this claims.

I guess the GDP is a good number though, but that includes government spending if I’m not mistaken. I dunno…looks kind of bogus to me, and as one commenter said–the R’s will win the message war.

See my 67 for more detail.

What’s the drinking word for tonight’s speech?

You and I mostly agree on unemployment.

We aren’t that far apart on the market.

Where we part company is I give Obama a solid C+, so far. Reading your comments suggests you are giving him a failing grade.

I would concur on the C+. I give the rethugs their usual F and dunce cap… and request to the school board that they expell ‘em for bullying and all-around bad behavior.

C+ for what?!

He should have Nationalized BofA and used that as a Chinese style central Bank facility to lend into the real economy. Instead he’s drowning the market with liquidity and rampant speculation. He, Us, the US Government is asking Wall Street to ‘pretty please lend’?

He gets an F for fuckwad.

Hmmmmm. That’s a good question.

I’m thinking “security”, as in “We will send an additional 30,000 troops to improve the security situation in Afghanistan”.

“The great tragedy of Science – the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact” — Thomas Huxley

Even Krugman is finally waking up to the real possibility of a double dip, Dr. Doom lowering his recent predictions. The economists are looking at precedents that don’t exist at all. Americans are in debt, they cannot lift this economy, – extinguish all cigarrettes, put your head in your lap; – we’re going down!

G-Sachs are buying guns because the feces is on the wall.

Considering the state of finance of average americans; ‘Security’ will boomerang in his face, he won’t know what hit him.

Job security, health security, not 5,000 miles away chimera security.

sorry you feel that way.

YES, Gayle!

It’s not about feelings, gayle! Not about personality, it’s about the Democratic Party Platform!!

I heard Roubini talk about the outlook 3 weeks ago. He claimed his forecast was U-shaped, i.e. bouncing along the bottom for awhile until the recovery sets in. But all his verbiage said double dip. So I called him on it in the Q&A, and he blew me off. A couple of people came up afterwards and agreed that his forecast was not consistent with his logic.

Really glad that not everyone here has already decided to write off all circumspection and hope. Too many people come to the table ready to assume the worst intentions and absolute failure irrespective of facts in evidence. As long as we are out here in 3-D land we are obliged to affirm better.

Again, the choice was “let them fail/tax cuts” vs. the stimulus. The stimulus, however flawed, was the only rational choice.

The Republicans are still saying we shouldn’t have done the stimulus.

No, it is just about what to choose to see.

The boomarang will be due to his policy of escalation, IMO, not the use of the word security. Point taken, though.

Well, show me then – make your case, other than lesser of two evils crap. What has he done for the public. We know Bush fucked up galore, how has Obama been different?

Civil liberties ?
Economy ?
Foreign Policy ?

Any 9/11s?

I’ve been around since 1934 and have seen GREAT days and until last November………..really horrible days………. the last 15 being the worst!

I’m NOT throwing in the towel!

That’s the best thing I’ve heard on a blog. Namaste & Thanks.

I predict that “9/11″ would make for a sober evening. I bet al-Qaida would too. Not feely-goody enough.

Taliban, on the other hand, is sure to get a few hits.

Good for you, might have made a better president than the current ‘throw in the towel’ fraudster.

Do you like your Medicare. I’d like some of it for the rest of us, you know Medicare for all! But no, not this Offal, threw in the towel right of the bat!

Namaste,
and Medicare for ALL!

Hold Your hats boys the Republicans will be back in 2010, because most of the Nation doesn’t have the smarts to remember them or see them for what they are.

it’s more likely because the word ‘Change’ means more to people than just lesser evil. People are less likely to vote for lesser evil, – doesn’t inspire

Seriously, man, I don’t know what is going on in your life that polarizes your “opinion” so much, but as I said, I am unemployed: this administration has, frankly, moved Heaven and Earth to toss me a line. The Republicans in the Senate were totally prepared to throw us all under the bus. So, yeah, I have more confidence in their ability and willingness to deal with the monolith that is governance.

Don’t feel like getting into the war right now, but we are at least not viewed with such disdain by the rest of the world because our leader is a bully and not a very bright bully at that.

Heh. What is more inspiring in November, 2008…Change or The Fundamentals of the Economy are Strong?

yeah, sadly. And that’s part of the problem of being a liberal – I know I commit this sort of error frequently – it didn’t work well with my about-to-be-ex-husband, and it doesn’t work with “the public.” Ex and public both react to things emotionally – rationality not very effective.

It’s taken me a very long time to learn this.
Liberals really need to learn it tout-suite, or we’ll be out of power for decades again, instead of getting real liberals elected.

This lesson, and the one about not negotiating with ourselves, may be the most important ones for saving this republic.

Well, when the promise of Change, winds up sounding the trumpet of The Recession is over as unemployment is rising; cannot afford more deficits while adventuring in Afghanistan – might as well call it: The Fundamentals of the Economy are Strong, and call it a day.

To me change is 180 degrees, not, 3 or so

Yin Yang is a force, Yingayang is a farce.

they can now move onto the next great Republican campaign of No: cap and trade and climate change targets.

Already happening. My Cong. rep., Lamar Smith [spit] did a robocall survey a week ago that I got to answer. The questions were loaded, of course, but I hope he(his staff) got an earful. One of them was about cap-and-trade, worded in the of-course-you-don’t-want-to-destroy-our-economy-with-evil-cap-and-trade fashion typical of R’s.

I’ve seen it in several quotes recently; the campaign is well under way.

Can you go to the event and speak out,letting them know they aren’t fooling everybody?

Cap and trade is an Enronesque wet dream in Goldman’s hand. A Carbon Tax is what is needed.

Agreed, Gayle. I sympathize to a certain extent with some of the bitterness being expressed here over BHO/the Dems, etc, but seriously, I can make a case for voting for BHO over McCain. If the bitter left cannot see any difference at all, then I dunno: don’t bother to vote.

Blind bob can see that corporations/plutocrats/thugocrats have us peons by the short & curlies. I should think that on blogs like this that is more than evident.

But so what? Either you choose to vote or you choose not to vote or you choose some other form of expression. Having decided to vote in the last election, I chose BHO. Because I’ve been around for many a year, I had few illusions about what BHO could be or would do. Perhaps some bloggers here were under a different impression last November, but my many years on the planet this time around has left me with few illusions about how the USA is governed. I, too, was fed pablum fairy tales about “of the people, by the people” as a child, but I grew up, lost my cherry and learned that’s not how it works.

But am I happier with BHO? Yes, I am. Like you said, Gayle, thankfully he has done a lot to turn around the ill-will we got because of Bush’s sniggering frat-boy bullying cowboy ways on the world stage. Speaking only for myself, that means a lot to me, and I think it’s better for the USA.

There’s lots of other things that I feel this admin has done better with, but I won’t go into the list now. I am also not happy with a lot that they have either done or not done, including continuing the war in Afghanistan (albeit BHO was VERY clear during the campaign about his intentions in this regard, so this is NO surprise).

So be it. It would be great to have better choices, but I’m not holding my breath that anything’s going to change soon on that score.

And so on…

Yep. I’m really tired of hearing about how unacceptable it is to raise the deficit for social spending while balooning the deficit for two wars.

“Serious question: when was the last time these clowns were right about anything?”

Passage of the 14th Amendment by the 39th Congress.

“Gone are Hank Paulson and Neel Kashkari; in their place are Treasury chief of staff Mark Patterson and CFTC chief Gary Gensler, both former Goldmanites. (Gensler was the firm’s cohead of finance.) And instead of credit derivatives or oil futures or mortgage-backed CDOs, the new game in town, the next bubble, is in carbon credits — a booming trillion dollar market that barely even exists yet, but will if the Democratic Party that it gave $4,452,585 to in the last election manages to push into existence a groundbreaking new commodities bubble, disguised as an “environmental plan,” called cap-and-trade.

The new carboncredit market is a virtual repeat of the commodities-market casino that’s been kind to Goldman, except it has one delicious new wrinkle: If the plan goes forward as expected, the rise in prices will be government-mandated. Goldman won’t even have to rig the game. It will be rigged in advance.”

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/29127316/the_great_american_bubble_machine/print

Very Obamanesque, I’d say.

The Republicans in Congress and their extreme right wing-nuts are the greatest obstacles to progress that this nation has ever suffered. How can these people call themselves Americans when they do all in their power to prevent any constructive action to improve America? The blame and the shame are theirs to live with. The voting public needs to be awakened to the obstructionists they send to Congress to down this nation.

Anyone who thought this “change” would be magic or satisfy everybody, anybody really. But I think this guy thinks it through and is prepared to stand behind his decisions: the job sucks and this guy has a significant contingency that hates everything he does because he does it. I mean, Dick Cheney is a miserable man.

I don’t know what will happen but I am pretty sure I would like what McCain — let alone Sarah Palin — would be doing right now.

And of course, extreme views will have seriously dis-satisfying discourse with Buddhist because my view of the world is one of transience in all things. It is all consciousness and I tend to assess it all as such.

How will consciousness transform the conversation in Congress from carbon trading to carbon tax?

namaste.

Man, your handle is “fuckno,” there is no way I can explain that in a way you will get. The short version is that your world and our collective world is a product of what we put attention on. What you put the most energy into is what increases in your life. Most importantly, for me, is that I can’t control everything out there but I can control the way I deal with it. I choose not to be emotionally ruled by the strange choices of some opportunists in Congress. Best I can do, dude. Seriously, reach some books: I recommend Tolle and Chopra.

I have two numbers to rebut the bullshit contained in the above article:

10.2%
17.6%

Yeah, the stimulus has been a real huge fucking success hasn’t it. After all, how else can you describe double-digit unemployment and a near 20% real employment number. Total and complete fucking sucess.

And you want to know what is fucking amazing about this blog post? You changed the fucking quote from the CBO without even letting anyone know that you did. Here is the actual fucking quote:

On that basis, CBO estimates that in the third quarter of calendar year 2009, an additional 600,000 to 1.6 million people were employed in the United States, and real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) was 1.2 percent to 3.2 percent higher, than would have been the case in the absence of ARRA.

How fucking pathetic. You actually left out the 600,000 and 1.2% part. What a fucking joke. But not as big of a joke as claiming double digit unemployment and 17.6% real unemployment is some sort of fucking success. I guess Bush’s handling of Katrina was a success too, because how many more houses would have been destroyed if he hadn’t reacted in the way he did?

Any links to back up your claims here?

A lot of statements but not much evidence.

Edit: Although I do recognize the official unemployment rate and the official un and under-employment rate. So how much help were the Republicans with that? Since of course, the tax cuts they proposed would be real helpful for folks without jobs.

Be nice to know what “bullshit” you’re talking about in the above article. He direct quotes some folks, and has about a paragraph and a half of his own words that as far as I can tell isn’t “bullshit” since it’s based on reality. Care to label what exactly in the post was bullshit?

Or is reality bullshit? Yeah, hate when that happens.

Back under the bridge troll.

Just sayin’ it didn’t work, bt. not that he had any other options w/re the big picture, but it could have been managed a little better, don’t you think? It was a lot of money. Here in AZ the govmt just announced they spent (I think) 16 million usd and got a little over 600 jobs out of it. I think they were bragging. Figure that one out.

Links aren’t that important here. the premise is flawed, the numbers are made up and they have to be. How can you possibly measure a saved job? Answer: you can’t. doesn’t matter if you say 6 jobs (altho that would be easier to validate) or 60 or 600 or what fucking ever number pops into your head. It cannot be validated therefore the argument is NOT valid. You can’t construct a conclusion out of such faulty data…if you can be so generous as to call it “data”. It’s a stretch.