[Perdogg]

Final GDP number out this week for 2nd-Qrt, it is going to around 1.8%.

[molson209]

It’s dead Jim !!!

[yoe]

" President tells the American public they are so much better off... AND that these phoney scandals are really only figments of our imaginations...

[Caipirabob]

Yes, provided he is building a road to "The Great Depression", he's an overachiever.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Wow! I feel much better now that I can see the increased darkness at the end of the tunnel.

[Nip]

IMHO the “economy” is composed to several interlocking but totally distinct segments.

One such segment is the stock market. If you base your evaluation of the “economy” strictly on the DOW average the “economy” is doing great.

Another such segment is the housing market/industry. If you base your evaluation of the “economy” strictly on the hosing market/industry the “economy” is so-so.

Another such segment is personal disposable income. If you base your evaluation of the “economy” strictly on the personal disposable income the “economy” is in the crapper.

And there are several, dozen or more?, other segments that can be used to judge the health of the “economy”.

My bottom-line is the politicians are, again, cherry-picking the indice to base the health of the “economy” on. And unless they use personal disposable income as their indice they can lie to us with a straight face while the “economy” continues to tank.

Why do I base my judgment on personal disposable income? In my world I recognize that the economy is driven by personal spending habits. Without a person going out any buying something, major or minor, there is no market activity and the ‘economy” tanks.

It is the individual and collective fear of the total impact of “ObamaCare” that has stopped any future spending. That coupled with the reduced personal income that has reduced personal spending in the here and now that has stopped current future spending. And, until BOTH indices are changed for the positive we will look at a 2% GDP growth as “good news for the economy”.

[whitedog57]

More charts of the same ilk here:

http://confoundedinterest.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/obamas-economy-is-far-stronger-than-5-years-ago-fairytale-but-tied-the-room-together/

[RushingWater]

If it’s from zero hedge, it’s always negative and the sky is falling. Waiting for the collapse . . .

OK I know things aren’t positive, there’s a lot of fundamentals that are not good, but in the mean time there’s money to be made. Why can’t zero hedge ever suggest a positive trend or a make money suggestion other than to echo the mantra of folks long on gold?