Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the 4½ years since the Great Recession ended, millions of Americans who have gone without jobs or raises have found themselves wondering something about the economic recovery: Is this as good as it gets? It increasingly looks that way. Two straight weak job reports have raised doubts about economists' predictions of breakout growth in 2014. The global economy is showing signs of slowing — again. Manufacturing has slumped. Fewer people are signing contracts to buy homes. Global stock markets have sunk as anxiety has gripped developing nations. Some long-term trends are equally dispiriting.

Our national debt problem has become so obvious that even liberals are noticing it. First it was the San Francisco Chronicle and more recently The Washington Post. But these same folks have a funny way of placing the blame. The standard narrative is as follows: life was wonderful under President Clinton, then George W. Bush screwed it all up with his reckless spending and unnecessary wars, and now poor President Obama has to deal with the mess he inherited from George Bush. Joel Achenbach at The Washington Post put that narrative in only slightly more politic form: "The peace dividend...