Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Siege is over (Economy grows: if this is a "weak recovery," give us more)
National Review Online ^ | 01/29/2010 | Bob Stein

Posted on 01/29/2010 8:17:05 AM PST by GOP_Resurrected

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last
Notice what has not accounted for recovery: government spending.

Hopefully Limbaugh will not try to beat this drum again, as is his usual way to pooh-pooh good economic news. His economic commentary has gotten extremely lazy since Obama took office.

1 posted on 01/29/2010 8:17:05 AM PST by GOP_Resurrected
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected

I suppose Obama will be picking up the Nobel prize in economics next year.


2 posted on 01/29/2010 8:19:44 AM PST by Huskrrrr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected
Hopefully Limbaugh will not try to beat this drum again, as is his usual way to pooh-pooh good economic news. His economic commentary has gotten extremely lazy since Obama took office.

You're right. Limbaugh criticizing The Won muddies up all the coordinated propaganda. /s
3 posted on 01/29/2010 8:22:27 AM PST by nhwingut (Palin/Bachmann '12)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected
The number is fabricated and misleading. A drop in imports due to inability of consumers to buy expensive items contributed to this figure, as does government spending, and a inventory rebuild cycle... none of these things are "good news".

Look at the real data, such as state income tax inflow and state sales tax inflow. Both numbers continue to drop. Income is down, and purchases are down. There can be no real growth while that continues to be the case.

4 posted on 01/29/2010 8:23:13 AM PST by DaisyCutter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected
I just wonder how much of this 5.7% growth will unexpectedly be revised down like last 1/4 , 37% take out Cash for Clunkers and you had no growth. I think the unrevised was 3.8 before the unexpected 2.1
5 posted on 01/29/2010 8:23:41 AM PST by scooby321
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected
I expect these numbers to be revised. It's quite possible that the economic growth was closer to 12%.

/sarc

6 posted on 01/29/2010 8:24:05 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (We have the 1st so that we can call on people to rebel. We have 2nd so that they can.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected

Calling this a ‘weak recovery’ is optimistic. Much of the American economy is cheynes-stokes breathing, waiting for the next crash.


7 posted on 01/29/2010 8:31:47 AM PST by agere_contra
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected

These numbers are entirely unrelated to the devalued dollar of course.

When Keynesian run treasury departments print more money, it doesn’t have that effect.

Tell us more.


8 posted on 01/29/2010 8:33:10 AM PST by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Huskrrrr

I suppose Obama will be picking up the Nobel prize in economics next year.”

Don’t forget his literature prize which will be forthcoming for his amazing books and mesmerizing speeches!

It would be so dreamy if he got the eco and lit prize in the same year!!!


9 posted on 01/29/2010 8:34:22 AM PST by ConservativeDude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected
You must be insane. Loose monetary policy indeed. The 'Porkulous' bill went directly to state governments and unions.

It had NO effect on a negative economy. The nationalization of the auto industry, the still being attempted takeover of 1/6th of the economy through socialized medicine, and the still languishing and unresolved real estate market due to Dodd, Frank, Fannie and Freddie have blighted the economy. Banks don't have to loan money to make money with Fed rates at zero.

There is always a sight upturn in spending per 3 quarter due to college spending. The national debt is staggering, social security is collapsing, fraud and waste are everywhere in the government, small businesses will NOT hire because there is an insane man in the White House and no one can predict what new taxes and regressive policies will be foisted upon small business. There are two active wars, we are bailing out Haiti and every 3rd world dictator in sight.

China owns so much of our debt we will probably both collapse simultaneously. The goal of OZero is to create the largest welfare society in the history of the world, to punish the successful people in our society, and to redistribute wealth from the producers to lazy welfare scum who produce nothing! We spend a fortune every minute on foreign energy when we could be drilling and producing our own energy. Cap and Trade (Tax!) will ruin this country!

And you sit there like a toadstool relishing our INCREDIBLE economy that actually shrank 2% in 2009! You sir, are a MORON!

10 posted on 01/29/2010 8:34:27 AM PST by Doc Savage (SOBAMP!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DaisyCutter; All
Look at the real data, such as state income tax inflow and state sales tax inflow. Both numbers continue to drop. Income is down, and purchases are down. There can be no real growth while that continues to be the case.

Ahh, yes, the "real data." Actually tax revenue is about the least-used measure of economic strength I can think of. Being that tax revenue is lagged from last year and dependent on income taxes, payroll taxes, property taxes, and other activities, which were collected off of very shrunken base, OF COURSE, tax revenues are still showing very weak.

The Bush recovery technically began in late 2001, but that didn't prevent tax revenues from reaching a 50 year low of 16.3% of GDP in 2003. 2003 was also the year employment finally turned positive. Jobs are indeed a "lagging indicator." This might be a big administration talking point, but sometimes talking points happen to be true.

Would you sourpusses lighten up? I'm not posting this to make Obama look good. I detest the man and his agenda, but I'm not going to talk myself into the idea we're in the middle of armageddon when the trends are pointing up.

I don't credit him for a bit of this, and yes, he's probably restraining growth with the pervasive uncertainty among businesses of how his health care and tax plans will burden them. But economies DO recover, it's a fact of life.

11 posted on 01/29/2010 8:35:27 AM PST by GOP_Resurrected
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: DaisyCutter
“Look at the real data, such as state income tax inflow and state sales tax inflow. Both numbers continue to drop. Income is down, and purchases are down. There can be no real growth while that continues to be the case.”

You're right. These are the indicators people should look at. The federal government statistics have become less and less reliable. The third qtr results were revised down and I expect the fourth qtr results to be revised down also. If sales are down and stores are closing there will be less inventory. This is what happens during an economic contraction.

12 posted on 01/29/2010 8:36:23 AM PST by detective
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: DaisyCutter

Look at the real data, such as state income tax inflow and state sales tax inflow. Both numbers continue to drop. Income is down, and purchases are down. There can be no real growth while that continues to be the case.

While I am not onboard completely that this marks recovery, the data you are focusing on are all trailing indicators not leading indicators. I think the big question for investors, consumers, and employers is how much will bammy/nancy/harry cost me? Until that is known, either through their defeat or success, the economy will not prosper. Basically, I sense that all the economic engines will remain on idle (trading water) until they know their costs/future. This most likely translates to gridlock in congress until 2010 which the economic engines would view as a positive for growth. Any legistlative success on healthcare and capntrade would be viewed as a negative and a drag on future sales (less descretionary dollars available to compete for).


13 posted on 01/29/2010 8:36:30 AM PST by equalitybeforethelaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected
Dear "Everything in the economy is great" crowd.

Did you bother to notice the economy is still shedding jobs?

Hate to burst the bubble of wishful thinking but this quite probably is the high point as we slide into the 2nd part of a W shaped recession.

14 posted on 01/29/2010 8:38:58 AM PST by MNJohnnie ("The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples' money" Lady Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected; DaisyCutter

I’d suspect the numbers as well.

MA reported a shrinking economy in the same period, and I don’t think they’re that much worse off than the rest of the country: http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2010/01/mass_economy_sh.html


15 posted on 01/29/2010 8:44:53 AM PST by 9YearLurker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected

Looks like Hussein will have to redouble his efforts to destroy the US economy. Free enterprise is tougher than he/Sorros thought.


16 posted on 01/29/2010 8:45:12 AM PST by Oldpuppymax
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected

It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job, it’s a depression when you lose your job, and it will be a recovery when Obama, Pelosi, and Reid lose their jobs.


17 posted on 01/29/2010 8:49:53 AM PST by jpl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected
For business, large and small, trying to make decisions about growth and expansion with Obama at the helm is a little like deciding whether to plan a picnic at the beach when a hurricane is coming ashore.

We can all relax...there will not be any vindication of Obama's policies because they don't work.

Obama's policies will have the same effect on economic recovery that filling your truck's gas tank with H2O will have on its performance.

And for those of you who are afraid the economy might recovery IN SPITE OF Obama, just ask yourself "are you afraid that the UAW might actually be able to run GM or Chrysler profitably and efficiently?" Of course, not (my cats could sooner run GM...at least they're not crooked).

There's nothing to worry about when it comes to an unwarranted recovery.

OTOH, there is the significant possibility that Obama may cause the economy to crash (I think that is the reason he wanted his national security force...to maintain order after he has destroyed our capitalist system).

If Obama is the Marxist we all know he is, he will have to create a national emergency in order to implement his system. That's what we should be afraid of.

18 posted on 01/29/2010 8:49:58 AM PST by SonOfDarkSkies (Barky...because he's barking mad!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: equalitybeforethelaw
We're comparing GDP to tax revenues, no? That's apples to apples as GDP is not a leading indicator either. GDP is the previous quarter. Sales tax figures are from the previous month, and they are showing a continued drop in consumption at the same time the government is claiming increases in consumption.

Until we clear out most of the bubble debts and ponzi finance, at best this economy will go sideways.

19 posted on 01/29/2010 8:59:47 AM PST by DaisyCutter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Resurrected

Next stop inflationville, now somebody dust off the misery index. Were going to need that thing again.


20 posted on 01/29/2010 9:01:23 AM PST by central_va ( http://www.15thvirginia.org/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson