Back to my points (AB), we have survived a pandemic, provided for the welfare of the citizenry, and the nation is on its way to better times. The only sticking point being the 2017 tax cut which is leaving the nation with another reoccurring deficit. How quick the influential 1-percenters were to move away from Biden as this was on his list of things to fix. Will a President Kamala make it a priority too? ~~~~~~~~ Back in the 1990s, when...
Read More »Correcting 11 Washington Post’s Charts That Are Supposed to Tell How the Economy Changed Since Covid
by Dean Baker CEPR Not much of a surprise here the 11 Washington Post’s Charts need some explaining to correct the misinterpretation of them by WaPo. The issue here is the amount of bad or false information floating around in the news media today. People tend to believe what they initially read and go no further. When people like Prof. Dean come along and correct the inaccuracies it can be misinterpreted as political. People want to believe...
Read More »What One Economist Wants to Hear on Thursday’s SOTU Address
Up-Dated: Dean Baker, CEPR co-founder and Senior Economist, shares what he wants to hear from the President during Thursday’s #SOTU2024. [embedded content] State of the Union 2024: Biden’s Economic Record, youtube.comDean Baker and CEPR hopes Joe Biden reminds the country of his strong economic record while offering substantive policy pathways to bring more relief to the hard issues many face every day. He...
Read More »Social Security and Medicare: Fun with Numbers Time
I have added little to this commentary. Economist Dean Baker has taken a position on various aspects of the economy. A positive position which you will see many other commentaries trashing. We avoided one hell of a recession to date which would have been the equal to the 2008 collapse due to Wall Street’s addiction to gambling. You will not hear the news media promoting this. I will be posting more on this issue. Meanwhile, there exists a lot...
Read More »GDP: Soaring Structure Investment Makes Up for Slowing Consumption, as GDP Grows at 2.4 Percent in Q2
Some Points . . . Healthcare services slight increases as a share of total consumer spending in the quarter, rising from 15.9 percent to 16.0 percent of total consumption and down from 17+ percent. Hopes are healthcare stays at that rate. Structure investment increases at a 9.7 percent annual rate after growing at a 15.8 percent annual rate over two qtrs. Driven by factory construction growing at a 94.0 percent annual rate. Equipment investment...
Read More »GDP: Soaring Structure Investment Makes Up for Slowing Consumption, as GDP Grows at 2.4 Percent in Q2
Some Points . . . Healthcare services slight increases as a share of total consumer spending in the quarter, rising from 15.9 percent to 16.0 percent of total consumption and down from 17+ percent. Hopes are healthcare stays at that rate. Structure investment increases at a 9.7 percent annual rate after growing at a 15.8 percent annual rate over two qtrs. Driven by factory construction growing at a 94.0 percent annual rate. Equipment investment...
Read More »Will Dean Baker’s Quiver Full of Solutions Stabilize Social Security?
Dean is on a roll here with propositions for the nation as it ages. Thoughtfully, I called it initially a Quiver of Arrows in Support of the economy and in the end Social Security. He is answering a question of what do we need to do to prepare for an aging population and lower replacement rates. We may not need to do as much as we think. By the way this post is a follow up to Dale Coberly’s post; Social Security Trustees’ Report Is Out So Is...
Read More »Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) Was Donald Trump’s Bailout
For some reason, I did not release this one on the 13th. Not sure why. I was at the eye doctor for sure and he was removing membrane from the retina. Never felt a thing. So far so good. It might just be me thinking it improved my right eye vision. I was able to read the chart which the NP said was positive. I was told many people could not after surgery. Anyway, there are any number of good posts on different blogs you can read. This one by Dean...
Read More »Does Being Balanced at the New York Times Mean Giving the Right Space to Lie?
Perfect follow-up to Dean’s earlier commentary “Declining population and diminished national power is bad news?” which I also posted at Angry Bear. In Dean’s earlier commentary, he makes a point of declining population not being a big issue. Decreasing productivity would be a far bigger issue except it is not an issue in the US. The numbers of older people are increasing in the US. As Dean points out, “If wage growth moves in step with productivity...
Read More »Declining population and diminished national power is bad news?
My Thoughts I am not sure what Prof. Dean means by elites. Was looking for an explanation. It may have zoomed by me if it is not obviously called out. In the beginning of his commentary, we read of declining population in China. The makeup of the population is older. Been there numerous times going from plant to plant and working with my counterparts there. Marvelous country to explore with the assistance of my associates there. Making the leap...
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