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Yes, jobs are disappearing, but causes may surprise
USAToday via Yahoo News ^ | Thu Oct 7, 8:09 AM ET | USA OP-ED

Posted on 10/07/2004 10:00:52 AM PDT by Smartaleck

Edited on 10/07/2004 10:19:45 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

[Gannett, allows headlines and links only]


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: business; economy; kerry; unemployment
Pretty evenhanded opinion for USAToday
1 posted on 10/07/2004 10:00:54 AM PDT by Smartaleck
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To: Smartaleck
In truth, several factors unrelated to outsourcing have kept total employment below where it was when Bush took office, something that hasn't happened during a president's term since the Great Depression.

I thought this was a debunked lie. I believe the US had something like 135 million jobs in 2000 and now has 137 million jobs. Figures are from memory, so I could be off a bit.

Note: this is NOT about the number of illegal immigrants, or other factors of population increase, such that job growth has not "kept up". The phrasing is "total employment" which (I think) must be the raw figure of 137 million jobs, a 2 million increase in the past 4 years.

Am I wrong?

2 posted on 10/07/2004 10:17:40 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: Smartaleck
Pretty evenhanded opinion for USAToday

It should be no surprise that that marxist rag is spewing out disinformation to the American People.

But, in general, the protective system of our day is conservative, while the free trade system is destructive. It breaks up old nationalities and pushes the antagonism of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie to the extreme point. In a word, the free trade system hastens the social revolution. It is in this revolutionary sense alone, gentlemen, that I vote in favor of free trade.

~Karl Marx, "On the Question of Free Trade" - January 9, 1848


3 posted on 10/07/2004 10:18:02 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Smartaleck
Another issue was mentioned last night on Lars Larson's show. A lot of the high-paying jobs that disappeared were phoney-baloney dot com jobs at companies that never had any hope of putting out actual products. These jobs are not coming back anytime soon. At least not until the lessons of the dot-com bubble are forgotten.
4 posted on 10/07/2004 10:21:19 AM PDT by snarkpup (I'm not suspicious; I'm prudent. - Burt Gummer)
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To: snarkpup

What you say is true ( a lot of 23-yr-old web designers were getting $100,000 in 2000) -- but overall, household wealth and home ownership rates are the highest ever. So the image that a lot of dot com ex-millionarires are now flipping burgers is not too accurate, IMO.


5 posted on 10/07/2004 10:27:07 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: snarkpup
At least not until the lessons of the dot-com bubble are forgotten.

That shouldn't be too long, say 1 or 2 months, given our national lack of attention span and unwillingness to learn from history.

6 posted on 10/07/2004 10:31:18 AM PDT by been_lurking
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To: Smartaleck

It'd would be nice if Bush brought up a few of these things tomorrow night, and if he forcefully articulates the truth that his economic record is actually good considering all that the economy has had going against it since he took office; things that were beyond his control like the shock of 9-11, corporate scandals, and the inheritance of an economy that was clearly on the down slope of the business cycle.

I hate to sound like a dick, but I just don't have confidence in Bush's ability to think on his feet, so I hope such responses are drilled into him by his preppers.


7 posted on 10/07/2004 10:34:37 AM PDT by Aetius
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To: Smartaleck
Productivity, health costs, terror fears hurt more than foreign flight.

That's a start. There are more factors as I'm sure FReepers will point out. I speculate that more people are changing jobs more often also. In addition, many are leaving the job market to become entrepreneurs, hopefully to create more jobs that way eventually.

I know Bush stated recently, possibly in his convention address, that he pledges to increase U.S. exports. Gee, it's about time. Could we get him to include los illegales (who are stealing jobs from citizens) in that category? Heh heh.

8 posted on 10/07/2004 10:42:00 AM PDT by KiloLima (Somewhere, over the rainbow... Bluebirds fly...)
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To: Aetius
"Bush" and "articulate" are two words which unfortunately don't appear together too often when discussing debates. Honesty, transparency, sincerity, fortitude... these are the qualities he usually projects quite well, and the reason many people voted and will continue to vote for him. In my opinion, they came through in the first debate, though not to the usual degree which was surprising and yes somewhat concerning considering the subject. Expectations have been lowered after that last performance, and the President does better in that context, who knows maybe part of a rope-a-dope strategy. But yes, everything you said about the economy is right on and I hope the President finds his voice while at the same time retaining his obvious character appeal. We all know he has the edge on substance, but it just isn't going to be enough in this election.
9 posted on 10/07/2004 11:17:02 AM PDT by truthchaser
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To: snarkpup
A lot of the high-paying jobs that disappeared were phoney-baloney dot com jobs at companies that never had any hope of putting out actual products.

High-paying phoney-baloney jobs that don't produce anything. Are you sure you're not talking about government bureaucrats? Of course, the difference is that the government jobs continue in perpetuity with fat pension plans to boot.

One shouldn't forget that the dot-com sector has led our economic recovery from the Clinton/Bush recession. I'm not counting the oil sector because that's largely due to dollar manipulation.

10 posted on 10/07/2004 12:26:17 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Federal Creed: If it moves tax it. If it keeps moving regulate it. If it stops moving subsidize it.)
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To: truthchaser

Its hard for Bush. When you honestly point out all of the things beyond his control that have hurt the economy, then he risks being made into mr. excuses by the Dems. Also, people just don't want to hear that the economy follows cycles of growth and decline, and that we are in the beginning of a long growth period, helped in part by his tax-cuts, and that no President has the magical powers to snap his fingers and make the economy even stronger.

Its also hard because you know that the majority of those talking heads want to pronounce the Dem the winner of any debate, but its just damn puzzling how Bush could have had such similar non-verbal responses to Kerry in the first debate that Gore had to him in their first debate; responses that made Gore look so bad. How could he make the very mistake that had helped him before? A sizeable lead nationally, and momentum in all the key battleground states are gone as a result.

In my mind I'm already trying to find the possible silver-lining: If Kerry wins, then we won't have Hillary in 2008.

I'm afraid now that if Bush loses he'll hurt GOP Senate Candidates in states like NC, Colorado, South Dakota, Louisiana, etc.


11 posted on 10/08/2004 6:14:40 AM PDT by Aetius
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